


Waking The Demon

by Foot_chan



Series: Waking The Demon [1]
Category: Professional Wrestling, Raw (TV), World Wrestling Entertainment
Genre: AU, Alternate Universe, Balor, Black magician, Character Death, Demon Finn Balor | Prince Devitt, Demon!Finn, Explicit Sexual Content, F/M, Grim Reapers, Healers, Hellhounds, Loup-garou | Rougarou, Magic, Shinigami, Violence, additional tags to be added later, demon king, the shield - Freeform
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-09-15
Updated: 2017-12-14
Packaged: 2018-12-29 23:32:54
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 67
Words: 177,553
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12095853
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Foot_chan/pseuds/Foot_chan
Summary: Aislin Baker had just moved to a new town with her boyfriend, but she found herself stuck there after the car wreck that caused his death. Luckily, Aislin somehow survived the incident, even though doctors couldn't figure out how she walked away from it.After going back to work at Raw, a small bar that she'd gotten hired at when she first moved to town, she realized that her body was acting strange. That same night, she started seeing odd things lurking in the darkness.With the help of her friend, Roman, and a new man she'd met while at work, she comes face to face with the glowing red eyes of the Demon King. Little did she know, she would be forced into the middle of a war.Can she help keep all of her new friends safe as she learns secrets about them and herself?





	1. Chapter 1

_We had been arguing that day. It wasn't anything new; we were always arguing over simple stuff lately. But on that particular day, it had gotten worse. I had just started a new job a few days earlier, and was driving him to the bar that I'd been hired at as a waitress. He had wanted to meet all of my new co-workers. Not because he was friendly, but because he had trust issues. When I told him that one of the bartenders, along with my boss, were guys, he'd gotten furious. He jerked the steering wheel out of my hand. Before I could correct the car, we were hitting a light pole. My vision went black, but tried to come back a moment later. A dark shadow blurred over my face, but my sight started giving out again before I could make sense of what I was seeing. Red eyes? That was the last thing I remembered from that day._

 

Chapter 1

“Aislin, can you work over tonight?” my boss asked me, cutting me off as I was heading toward the time clock hanging on the wall.

Kurt was the owner of Raw, the bar I'd been hired at as a waitress. He was an older man, but he was in good shape to be forty eight years old. He hid his age well, especially since he kept his head shaved completely bald to hide any grey hairs. He knew I'd never turn down overtime, so he always asked me to stay when someone called out of work. 

Honestly, I could never afford to turn down the over time. I lived by myself in a one bedroom apartment that I used to share with my boyfriend. I had no family around me for at least two hundred miles because I'd moved away from them to this little town with the aforementioned boyfriend. My family thought I was making a mistake, so they made sure I was aware of the fact that I couldn't come running back to them if anything happened. 

Well, something happened, and I was still here. Even though my mother called just the night before to tell me that I could come back home if I wanted to, my pride wouldn't let me budge. I was a twenty six year old woman and I could make a life of my own away from them. Especially after everything they'd said about my decisions.

“Yeah, I can,” I replied as I looked longingly at my time card in the slot beside the clock. 

“Thank you. You are really saving my ass right now.” Kurt was a nice guy, so it was hard to leave him in a bind, even when my body was pleading to me for sleep.

Sleep had not been my best friend for the last week. I had been in a car accident that doctors said I wasn't meant to walk away from. It had happened only seven days ago, but other than the insomnia, I felt completely normal. The doctors who looked me over were all in awe of how I came out of the wreckage with only a few cuts and bruises. My passenger, however, wasn't as lucky. That probably had something to do with the insomnia.

It was nine o'clock, so I had already been at work for nine hours. Raw closed at three in the morning, so I had six hours to go. I sighed and started walking away from the time clock and away from my precious promise of sleep at home. Heading toward the tables, I was ready to start taking food orders again, but the bartender, Roman, called out to me before I could make it to the first table.

“Who called in?” he asked as he mixed a drink.

Roman was a tall man, standing well over the six foot mark. His dark skin, long dark hair, and brown eyes were all thanks to his Samoan heritage. The muscular build he had was all thanks to the gym. His chest was broad and pulled the red “Raw” shirt he was made to wear until it looked like it could no longer stretch. His face was framed with a dark goatee, but it didn't hide the angles of his jaw bone. He was an attractive man, that was for sure. 

We'd become fast friends, despite the fact that I had only known him for two weeks. I instantly felt like I could trust this man with anything. I always assumed he'd just taken me in as if I were a little sister to him, considering the six year age gap between us, but I was grateful for whatever friendship I could get in this town. He had played a big role in keeping me sane after the accident, especially when I couldn't sleep at night and was able to text him and get a reply within seconds. 

“I don't even know, Ro. I hadn't checked who was supposed to be here tonight,” I replied as I walked by him to the first table in my section, checking to see if the two women wanted refills on their drinks.

As I brought the drinks back to the table, I noticed a man I'd never seen before walk in and take a seat at the neighboring table. He shrugged off his black leather jacket to reveal a dark grey t-shirt and muscular arms that could rival Roman's. I'd only been working at the bar for two weeks, but I thought I had seen all of the regular patrons in the first week. Each time a face I didn't recognize entered the door, Roman would quickly fill me in on who the person was. He said he had been working at Raw for five years, so he had met all of the frequents. 

I spared a confused glance in Roman's direction, but he looked at the unfamiliar guest and shrugged his shoulders at me. That let me know that the new man hadn't been in this bar before.

Normally, I wasn't one to get distracted by new people, but this one caught my attention quickly. It wasn't because he was good looking, though he would have caught any woman's eye on that alone. He appeared to be in his mid thirties—maybe thirty-six—and he was shorter than Roman by a few inches. His eyes were crystal blue, his skin pale. His dark hair was cut short, and his perfectly trimmed beard and mustache moved when he smiled at me as I sat the ladies' drinks down in front of them.

What made me unable to take my gaze from him, however, was the fact that he looked both familiar and unfamiliar at the same time. I knew I had never seen him before because there was no way anyone could forget laying their eyes on this man, but I couldn't shake the feeling that I knew him from somewhere.

“Hello. My name is Aislin and I'll be your waitress tonight. How are you doing?” I asked after approaching the table. 

“My name's Finn, and I'm doing great, darlin',” he answered, surprising me with an accent as sweet as honey that definitely wasn't from around this place.

“I don't think I've seen you here before. Are you new in town?” I questioned him, my curiosity interested in where that accent was from.

“I am,” he confessed with a small smile. “I'm originally from a little town called Bray in Ireland.”

“What brings you to Tennessee all the way from Ireland?” My nosy streak was getting the best of me.

“Ah, just business,” he replied on a sigh, sweeping his gaze down to the table like he didn't want to talk about the reason he was thousands of miles from home.

“Well what can I get you tonight, Finn?” I asked, wanting to change the subject since it clearly wasn't one he wanted to discuss.

He asked for a Corona, so I brought him the bottle, telling him that if he needed anything else, just ask. When I walked away, though, he looked deep in thought. I made my way back to the kitchen to grab the food for my other tables, on auto-pilot the whole way. After getting all of the food delivered and the empty tables wiped down, I had a moment to breathe before I needed to make rounds again.

“So what's his story?” Roman caught me glancing at Finn from the back of the bar where I was washing my hands after cleaning vacant tables.

“He's from Ireland and here on business, but doesn't seem to want to say what kind of business,” I informed him, ripping my eyes off of the Irishman still sitting by himself. I was expecting someone to meet him here, but he was still sitting alone.

“Must be something shady if he doesn't want to talk about it,” Roman joked, squinting his eyes in Finn's direction.

I laughed and playfully smacked his arm before saying, “I don't know why, but I get the feeling I've met him somewhere before. I just don't think I actually have.”

“Maybe it's just déjà vu,” Roman offered.

“Yeah, maybe.” I looked back at Finn again before I ducked back into the kitchen to get the next round of food.

While taking a tray of plates to a table of two couples seemingly on a double date, my feet decided to get in my own way of walking. Not being the most graceful person ever, I dropped the plates and landed on my elbows. Luckily, only one plate broke. 

As I was cleaning up the mess, my bad luck held out and I cut myself on a piece of broken glass. Blood started streaming down my right palm, and I could see a gash that went from the bottom of my pinky to the base of my thumb. I sighed, cursing myself for being so clumsy. After grabbing a napkin from the neighboring table to stop my bleeding, I leaned back down to finish cleaning the mess I had made.

“Hey, I'll clean this up if you want, and you go get your hand fixed up.” I looked up from the mess to see Finn kneeling beside me, trying to scoop the food up and get it off the floor.

Mortified, I told him, “No, I got this. My hand isn't that bad, anyway.” I lifted my bloodied palm and wiped it again with the napkin.

To even my own surprise, the cut wasn't nearly as big as I imagined it had been at first. Maybe my eyes were just playing tricks on me, I thought. The cut only extended from the middle of my palm up to my little finger.

“Aislin,” I heard Roman say as he walked up behind me, “go wash your hand off and I'll get this.”

After being told twice, I decided that I'd better go get washed up.

Making my way to the bathroom, I looked back once more at the mess I'd made. Roman and Finn were getting the last of the food up and returning the intact plates to the kitchen to be washed. They didn't appear to be too upset about having to clean up my accident.

I stood in front of the mirror in the bathroom and cringed at my own appearance. My dark hair, which I now wore in a pony tail, had bits of buffalo sauce in it from the chicken wings in one plate. At least the sauce almost matched my red shirt, I thought grateful for the fact that it wouldn't leave too big of a stain on my uniform. 

My pale, freckled face had blood smears from where I'd wiped sweat off of my forehead without remembering the blood on my hand. I turned my teal eyes back to the sink and began to wash the blood off. Unexpectedly, my palm had already stopped bleeding. With the blood washed off, I could see the cut better, and realized that the size hadn't changed again. I must have just mistaken the severity of it at first because of the blood when it originally happened. After I finished making myself look acceptable again, I grabbed a band-aid and headed out of the bathroom. 

When I walked back toward the bar, I caught my gaze moving unwillingly to Finn's table, only to realize that he was nowhere to be seen. I had only been in the bathroom for a couple minutes, but in those minutes, he'd left. I was assuming that he had been waiting on someone, but I never did see anyone else so much as wave at him. I walked over to the empty table where I found a nice tip, but under that was a napkin with words scrawled on it in black pen.

“Until next time. Be careful.”

A little disappointed at the fact that he was already gone, I pocketed the money and the note before making my way to apologize to the hungry people waiting on their food that I'd just thrown in the floor.

 

The rest of the night went by like a normal work evening. My eyes had a hard time leaving the clock when I noticed it was already fifteen minutes until closing time. This close to the end of the shift, Roman would always start to set drinks aside for me to sneak while I was going to and from the kitchen. That was probably not the best idea because of how clumsy I was, but Roman knew after I'd worked fifteen hours, I was in need of a few short drinks. 

After about five shots in the fifteen minutes, I had to tell him to stop setting them aside for me, otherwise I would need a ride home. I probably should have told him to stop giving me drinks after three shots, though. I'd always been a lightweight.

The majority of people had left the bar for the night, and those who hadn't left yet were being told by Roman and Kurt that it was time to go. After everyone was out, I decided I'd take the trash bags out to the dumpster while Roman cleaned the bar up. Gathering all of the bags into two rolling trash cans, I headed out the back door and into the cold, October night air.

I was making my way to the dumpsters to dispose of my trash bags when I heard what sounded like a dog growling from the tree line behind the building. The back parking lot was only lit by one street light, so I tried to squint into the dark trees, attempting to see what kind of dog I was about to be running from. Before I could even differentiate shapes in the shadows, a form jumped out and grabbed me by the waist, pulling me with it back toward the trees. I let out a yell and started kicking and flailing my arms once I realized it felt like a man had grabbed me. My fight or flight instinct had kicked in as the adrenaline hit me, pushing my fear of being kidnapped to the side of my mind.

Upon my sudden outburst, he re-positioned himself behind me. He pinned my arms to my sides with his own arm around my stomach, and he had a hand over my mouth. My legs, though, were still free. On instinct, I used them to kick backwards, trying with all my might to get my foot to connect with his crotch. My struggling wasn't doing any good, though, and the man had already pulled me into the darkness under the trees. I couldn't see anything around me, but I knew I had to keep fighting.

All of a sudden, the man grunted and his grip went weak. I hadn't felt either of my feet hit him where it counted, but I wasn't going to question why he was starting to give up. I jumped away from him and turned around to get a look at his face so that I could call the police, but the sight that I was met with had me stunned speechless and unable to breathe. In the darkness, I could see the silhouette of the man who had grabbed me, but as I focused in on him, I realized his head was completely missing.

His body fell away, and a shadow was standing behind him, seemingly looking right at me with eyes glowing like red hot coals. I found myself wishing that I had brought a flashlight with me to take out the trash so that I could actually see more than shadows and silhouettes. I knew that if I had some light, I'd probably see that I had succeeded in hitting the would-be kidnapper, the man did still have his head, and that the shadow behind him was just my eyes playing tricks on me. That's what I was hoping, anyway.

As I stood there, shocked at what my eyes were trying to get me to believe, the red eyes started moving closer to me. I turned to run away, but instead I ran right into a tree trunk and fell onto my backside. The darkness and alcohol weren't helping my already horrible grace, I knew.

“Wait, stop!” I pleaded with the glowing eyes as I realized they were directly over me now.

Out of nowhere, I felt a hand gently touch the top of my head, warming it for just a second before it, and the fire like eyes, were gone. Once I realized I was alone, I got up again and ran toward the faint light in the parking lot I'd been drug from.


	2. Chapter 2

I ran through the back door of the bar at full speed, not stopping until I hit a hard chest. Roman's muscular arms immediately went around me protectively, and I buried my face in his shirt and chest, inhaling the sent of his earthy cologne as I tried to catch my breath.

“What's wrong? You look scared to death,” Roman asked, pushing me back from him at arms length to search my face for some sign of what had just transpired.

“A man... grabbed me... dead... no head... eyes!” I tried and failed to form a coherent sentence.

Shock took over Roman's features as he once again tightened his arms around me and tried to make sense of my jumbled words. “A man grabbed you? Who's dead? Breathe for a minute, Aislin.”

I took a steadying breath, but it did little good. Looking back up into Roman's dark eyes, I said, “A man grabbed me. He pulled me to the trees. A shadow somehow chopped his head off.”

The look Roman gave me was skeptical at best; at worst, it was a look that said I'd gone completely crazy.

“I'll show you. Come on.” 

I reluctantly pulled myself from Roman's embrace. Stepping over to the bar, I grabbed the emergency flashlight from under the counter, then grabbed Roman's arm and led him to the back door I'd just run in through. I wasn't completely sure if I was going back out so that I could actually show Roman what had happened, or if I was returning so that I could prove to myself that everything I'd seen had just been a trick of my eyes and the alcohol I'd drunk.

The thought crossed my mind that I might be headed right back into a dangerous situation, but I felt like I would be okay as long as Roman was out there seeing all of this with me. He wouldn't let anyone snatch me up, and if anyone even tried, Roman was big enough to kick ass. I hadn't realized how safe he had made me feel lately until this moment, when we were walking toward the darkness I'd just been attacked in.

“Aislin, if someone tried to grab you, we need to call the police,” Roman insisted, moving his eyes through the shadows under the trees. “Did you get a look at him?”

“I tried,” I answered, “but when I turned to see his face, it was gone—along with his head.” I still couldn't wrap my mind around what I was saying, so I could only imagine that Roman was thinking I'd lost it.

We walked toward the trees and I turned the flashlight on, scanning the ground around the area I thought I had been dragged to. 

Nothing. There was nothing on the ground. No blood, no body, no head.

“It's not here,” I whispered to myself. “It was just here not even five minutes ago.” I couldn't believe what I was seeing, or rather, _not_ seeing.

“Are you sure this is where you were?” Roman questioned, still keeping his eyes on the shadows that the trees were casting around the glow of our little flashlight.

“Yes, I'm positive,” I replied, moving the flashlight beam to a specific tree. “That's the tree I ran into.” 

“You ran into a tree?” I could hear a slight smile in Roman's voice. “That is definitely something you'd do.” As dire as this situation was, he was still finding ways to playfully pick on me. I wasn't in the mood to be picked on at that moment, however.

“This isn't funny, Roman!” I argued as I quickly turned the flashlight beam back to him. I was getting frustrated at that point, beginning to think that maybe I _had_ imagined the whole thing.

“I don't think any of this is funny,” he tried to reassure me, dropping all the playfulness from his voice. “Can you tell me exactly what happened?”

“I was taking the trash out when I heard a dog growling, so I was getting ready to run, but then a man grabbed me and dragged me over here. Then a shadow with red eyes came and killed the man who had me. Then I started running and hit the tree. Then the shadow disappeared and I ran back to the bar.” I explained, trying to get all the big details.

As I finished talking, both Roman and I heard a rustling noise in the grass and dead leaves that had fallen from the trees near where we stood. Both of our heads quickly jerked in the direction of the noise, and I slowly moved the flashlight beam to find out what it was. 

When my light landed on the source of the noise, we realized it was an enormous dog. The canine had sleek, long black fur with lighter brown undertones and stood at least three feet tall on all four legs. When the beam of light hit the dog's eyes, they glowed brown like all dog's eyes do when hit with light. Gasping, I stopped moving, trying not to upset the dog into attacking, but Roman walked right up to the huge animal.

“This is old man Orton's dog. Remember Bob Orton? He was in the bar tonight, and he lives a couple miles away. His dog always ends up following him here every Saturday, but he normally follows the old man home,” Roman explained, petting the dog as it happily stuck its tongue out in a grin and twitched its pointed ears in Roman's direction. “Aislin, I know I didn't give you a whole lot to drink, but were you sneaking more? I'm only asking because there is no body out here, and you just saw this guy's eyes glow in the flashlight. Maybe there was another animal out here with him that he was growling at, and its eyes were glowing red. Could you have started running from the dog, saw the other animal's red eyes, hit the tree, got knocked unconscious for a minute, and imagined the rest of the details while you were out?”

I stood quiet for a moment, thinking maybe I _had_ just dreamed it all while knocked unconscious from hitting the tree; but that explanation didn't sit right with me. It seemed as if Roman was trying too hard to make things add up. If it were all a dream while I was unconscious, wouldn't I have hit the tree before I saw the silhouette with no head? Trying to think back to it, my memory of the whole thing was starting to get fuzzy. It was almost as if my brain were trying to correct the things that it couldn't believe my eyes had seen.

“Maybe that's what happened. I guess that makes sense.” I turned the flashlight away from Roman and started walking back to the parking lot of the bar, feeling defeated and like a total moron.

I heard Roman tell the dog to go home, then he was behind me, his hand on my shoulder. “I'm not saying that I don't believe you. I'm just thinking about this rationally and trying to figure out what could have really happened. I wouldn't doubt what you said you'd seen if there had been a body out here with a missing head.”

“I know, Ro,” I sighed. “I'm starting to think that maybe I did just imagine it all. I was already light headed from the drinks, so your theory makes perfect sense.”

We walked back to the bar in silence, side by side. I noticed Roman still keeping an eye out around the shadows as we approached the door and re-entered the bar. 

“Do you need a ride home?” Roman asked, following me as I grabbed my jacket and finally made my way to the time clock that I'd been denied earlier in the night.

“That may be a good idea, if you really don't mind,” I answered him, moving my head side to side just to check if it still made me dizzy. It did. 

“I really don't mind.” Roman smiled and we clocked out, turned the remaining lights out, and set the alarm before locking up for the night.

“Do you need anything from your car before we leave?” he asked me as he turned in the direction of his new, silver Subaru Forester. 

“Yeah, let me get my purse and make sure the doors are locked,” I replied as I walked two parking spaces down from his car to my green Hyundai Accent. It wasn't the best looking or newest car—it was already twenty-two years old—but it was all I could afford after wrecking the car I'd worked years to pay for.

After retrieving my purse and double checking that I'd locked all the doors back, I got into Roman's car with him. He turned the key in the ignition and we pulled onto the empty road. The drive to my apartment was only a fifteen minute trip, but in those fifteen minutes, neither of us said a word. 

I intently watched all of the buildings on the main strip of town pass by my window instead of trying to hold a conversation. The city we were in wasn't huge, but it did have a few restaurants and hotels on the main road, along with Raw. There was even a little strip mall which included about three clothing stores and a couple more restaurants. At this hour, though, everything was closed and dark.

I was too busy trying to remember if I'd missed any detail about what had happened. I knew I was in the right spot under the trees, but where had the body gone? Unless there wasn't actually a body, and Roman was right about it all just being shadows playing tricks on my vision.

“Aislin,” Roman started as he pulled into the driveway of my apartment building, “do you want me to stay with you tonight? I'm not trying to be weird or anything, but after the night you've had, I don't think you should really be alone.”

“I'm not a child, Roman.” I was starting to get aggravated at myself and at the fact that there was no proof to back up my recollection of what had happened to me. Add that to my already tired and worn out state, and I was becoming a bitch.

“That's not what I was implying,” he backtracked, sounding almost hurt. “I just didn't know if you wanted to be alone tonight.”

“I'm sorry,” I sighed, realizing I was being too harsh on Roman. 

Hell, I wouldn't believe him if he'd told me that story. I would have done exactly what he had done, which was try to come up with a reasonable explanation for everything. The fact was, his thought process made more sense than what I thought I'd seen. It wasn't his fault that I'd apparently let my imagination get the better of me.

Looking over to him in the dark car, I smiled as best I could and said, “Yeah, actually. You staying might be a good idea. I could probably use a distraction so that I don't drive myself crazy tonight.” I lightly laughed, then decided to add, “But you're so sleeping on the couch.”

“You should know me well enough to know I'd never take advantage of you,” he laughed in response as we both piled out of the car.

Entering my apartment, I headed for the kitchen. I discarded my purse on the table there as I flipped the lights on. I pulled a glass out of the cabinet and filled it with water, hoping the clear liquid would help clear my head. I offered Roman a drink, which he took before sitting down on my beige colored couch.

“Do you want to watch a movie or something?” I asked as I sat beside him and flipped the TV on, curling my legs under myself comfortably.

“Whatever you want to do,” he smiled at me as he stretched his long legs out in front of the couch and rested his arm along the back of it, almost touching my head.

We decided on watching one of the Underworld movies, but I was too deep in my own thoughts to really pay attention to which one. Vampires and werewolves weren't exactly what I had on my mind, unless they had red glowing eyes. Thinking back once again to the attack, I tried to force my head to bring back up the images of the shadows. I was having a hard time recalling the picture, though, because my imagination continually changed the shadows into monsters. Then I remembered the hand touching my head. I had forgotten that detail when I told Roman what had happened, but it was pointless to tell him now. I knew he'd just say I dreamed it while unconscious, along with everything else.

“Are you feeling okay?” Roman asked half way through the movie, turning his brown eyes in my direction to look over my face.

“Yeah, just really tired,” I admitted, the yawn escaping my mouth adding emphasis to my answer.

“How's your hand doing?” Pulling his arm from the back of the couch, he used it to gently grab my bandaged hand and lift it to his face, easily taking the band-aid off with his other hand.

“I totally forgot about it, honestly,” I said, noticing my breathing was getting more strained as he inspected my palm. Had my heart always beat this fast?

“It looks like it's already trying to scar over,” he muttered, more to himself than to me.

“Yeah, the blood made it look way worse than it actually was.”

“That's good.” He let go of my hand and I pulled it back to my lap to join my other hand there.

Acting as if nothing had happened, we finished watching the movie in silence. After the movie was over, I told Roman goodnight and forced my tired feet into my bedroom. I changed out of my black work pants and red polo shirt and donned my old, sleep worn t-shirt. Pulling my hair down and lying back on the bed, I prayed for sleep to take me. For the first time in a week, I fell into a deep slumber in what seemed like seconds. However, it wasn't a peaceful night's sleep.


	3. Chapter 3

_I was lying on my back in the dirt, surrounded by nothing but darkness. Gazing up toward the stars in the night sky, I heard what sounded like a dog howling. All at once, I realized that the twinkles in the atmosphere weren't so far away, and that they weren't even stars at all. Hundreds of pairs of glowing eyes started coming down toward me, all different colors. Mouths appeared under each set of eyes, opening up to reveal sharp teeth, dripping with saliva. Preparing myself for the run of my life, I rolled over onto my belly. I couldn't force myself to me knees, however._

_As I faced toward the darkness surrounding me, red eyes were coming toward me. They were hovering just above the ground, almost as if the owner were crawling, and they didn't appear to be saving me this time. As all the glowing orbs breached the darkness, fire started engulfing everything in my field of vision. Fear paralyzed me, making my body unable to budge an inch. The flaming eyes crept closer, a growl sounding from their direction._

_“Give it back,” the gravely voice said as the eyes continued to shorten the distance between us._

_Flames started licking my body as the red eyes came to a stop directly in front of me. The fire and the eyes were all I could see, but I felt the burning of my skin all over my body. I was sure this is what Hell would feel like. Fear and pain._

_Suddenly, the fire went out and I was left standing with Finn, the man I'd met at the bar earlier, and Cass, my dead boyfriend._

_“I told you to be careful,” Finn said in his Irish accent as he smiled and winked at me. His icy blue eyes were a stark contrast to the now extinguished flaming ones that had been stalking me like prey, and I just knew in my heart that Finn had chased that evil fire away._

_Cass was standing silently behind Finn, his seven feet tall body looming over the shorter man. His light brown hair hung around his shoulders in long waves, and his darker blue eyes seemed almost black as they glared in Finn's direction. He took a step toward Finn, then raised his arms in the air. Before I could process what was happening, Cass had grabbed Finn by the head and twisted as hard as he could, effectively breaking Finn's neck._

 

In a cold sweat, I jumped upright in my bed. I noticed the sun shining in through my window, but my pounding head tried to inform me that it was still time to sleep. Glancing at my alarm clock on the table beside my bed, I realized it was only eight thirty. I'd only been asleep for three hours, so I laid back down on my pillow, trying to calm my breathing so that I could get a couple more hours of sleep. 

As hard as I tried, I couldn't manage to keep my eyes closed. Anytime I let my lids droop down, I was met with the vision of Cass breaking Finn's neck, just like in my nightmare. Cass had been on my mind every night since his death last week, so that part was nothing new. Guilt ate at me whenever his face appeared in my mind.

Cass's father had come to visit me in the hospital the day it all happened. I'd never met any of Cass's family members, so when this old man entered my room, I was confused. His father, who'd introduced himself as Vince, was a grey haired man who looked nothing like Cass. Cass must have gotten his height and good looks from his mother's side of the family, I'd thought as I listened to Vince telling me with a stone cold expression that his son had died and that I was to be nowhere near the funeral because it was all my fault.

The guilt in my soul when I thought of Cass wasn't because of the fact that he had died, though. It had nothing to do with what Vince had said. I felt guilty because I couldn't bring myself to be upset over his death. It wasn't my fault that the car had swerved; it was his own fault for grabbing the steering wheel. In a way, I felt like he brought it on himself.

He had a jealous streak and a temper that could rival any monster's. One minute, we were laughing and completely in love; the next minute, we were arguing. While he never got physically violent with me in the six months we were together, I felt like he was on the verge of that at times. Those were the arguments I'd just walk away from.

Even so, it wasn't all bad. I did think I loved him, and I felt like he loved me in return. There were happy moments, though few and far between in the week before his death. Before we'd moved, he'd bring me flowers after he got off work from his factory job, and he would stop and visit me in the restaurant I worked in. Deciding to move was his idea, because he said he knew a few people in this small town that could get him a better paying job than the one he had. I never did get to meet the friends he had here, and he never did get to start his new job.

Moving my thoughts to the other parts of the nightmare, I thought about all the eyes coming down on me, especially the red ones floating in my direction. The growl had said “give it back,” but I wasn't sure where my imagination pulled that from. I hadn't taken anything from anyone, especially not the shadow who had saved me. 

Or the animal who ran off the dog, according to Roman.

The more I thought about the previous night, the more I was beginning to question my own sanity. Roman's explanation of what probably happened made more sense as time went on. Except for one thing. The hand that reached down and touched my head had felt so real, and the warming sensation it gave me had felt as though the figure was trying to take a part of my soul. The idea skirted around the edges of my mind that maybe everything I'd seen was reality, and that the warm touch was just messing with my memory, but that stuff only happened in stories. I dismissed the idea with a shake of my head.

A light tapping sound pulled me from my thoughts. I realized someone was knocking on my door and remembered that Roman had stayed the night.

“Aislin? Are you awake?” Roman's soft voice whispered through the door, careful not to wake me up if I had been asleep still.

“Yeah,” I replied, getting out of my bed to pull on a pair of black shorts. I opened the bedroom door to reveal a very tired looking Roman still in the black pants and red shirt that served as his work uniform. “Did you sleep last night?”

“Yeah,” he answered, “a little, anyway.”

Smiling, I walked past him to the kitchen for a soda. I wasn't a coffee person, so the fizzy drink was my morning pick-me-up. After offering Roman a can of Pepsi, I sat down at the small kitchen table. 

“Sorry, my couch must not be that comfortable.” I popped open my can and took a sip as I watched him take the seat in front of me.

“You don't need to apologize. I was happy to stay and make sure you were okay,” Roman replied, taking a sip of his drink and rubbing his eyes. “Are you feeling okay?”

“I'm fine,” I said, trying to will my head to stop pounding. “I've just got a little headache, but other than that, I feel perfectly okay.”

Roman's chuckle made my chest tighten. “Perfectly okay, huh?”

“Mhm, perfectly okay,” I mumbled, not able to meet his gaze. I couldn't tell if he believed me or not, but as close as we'd gotten these past couple of weeks, I was sure he knew something was on my mind. “Do you want something to eat?” I asked him, standing up to raid the refrigerator for something acceptable as breakfast.

“No, thanks. I think I'm going to head home to get ready for work now,” he said as he stood up and downed the rest of his soda. “You're off tonight, right?”

“Yeah, I am,” I told him, pulling my head from the fridge and finally looking at him again. 

“Are you going to need your car any time soon? Or can you wait until I get off work for me to come get you and take you back to get the car?” Roman questioned as he came to stand behind me at the fridge, resting his arm on the still open door. “I get off at nine tonight, so it shouldn't be too late to get it then. I've just got some stuff I've got to do before work today.”

“That'll be fine,” I answered as I once again averted my eyes from his. “I don't have any plans for today, anyway.”

Backing up, Roman gave me space to shut the refrigerator and walk back to the table for my can of Pepsi.

“Okay, I'll be back shortly after nine, then,” he said as he headed for the front door of my apartment.

“Roman,” I started, following him into the living room, “thank you for keeping me company. It's nice to actually have someone I can trust in this place.”

“Any time, Ai,” he replied as he put his hand on the top of my head, ruffling my already sleep tousled hair.

I smiled as we said our goodbye's, then watched as Roman pulled out of the driveway and drove down the street. I decided to make an attempt at sleeping again, but I couldn't bring myself to shut my eyes. Every time I did, I was plagued with visions of either the scene from my dream, or the day of the crash. I decided I didn't want to relive either of those, so I got ready for the day. 

I took a quick shower and then pulled on a pair of jeans and a black t-shirt with “Tokyo Ghoul” written above the anime's main character. I pulled a brush through my long, straight hair, and decided to just let it air dry. After I made myself a couple of fried eggs and scarfed them down, I decided to keep myself busy with trivial chores and cleaning everything in my apartment. 

When Cass had died, his father had come to the apartment before I'd gotten released from the hospital. Vince had cleared out all of Cass's belongings, not leaving me anything to remember him by. Some days, I was happy for that. I know Vince didn't do it to make me feel better, but it did ease my mind a bit when I came home and didn't have to be constantly reminded of Cass by seeing his things laying around the place. Today, I was especially grateful to Vince for collecting Cass's items.

After I finished cleaning up the living room, I moved to the kitchen. I filled the sink to wash my dishes, but as I dipped my hands into the soapy water, I remembered the cut on my right palm. Expecting it to start stinging, I quickly pulled my hands back out of the warm water. When the stinging sensation didn't occur, I inspected my skin. 

There was already a light pink scar where it had been cut open last night. I tried to tell myself that the gash obviously wasn't as severe as I'd first thought, but I'd never had an injury heal as quickly as this one. Maybe it was just a tiny pinprick and the blood had been confusing my interpretation of it the whole time, I thought to myself as I put my hands back into the filled sink to wash what little dishes I had piled in there.

 

Nine o'clock couldn't come quickly enough. I was fed up with being stuck alone, and the apartment was spotless. There was nothing else I could possibly clean or scrub to keep my mind from wandering, and watching TV wasn't helping at all. 

Finally, I heard a knock at my door. I jumped up, grabbed my purse, and opened the door to see Roman standing there with a smile on his face. He looked a lot more refreshed than he did when he left me earlier, even though he'd just been at work for 9 hours. I'd say his shower was to thank for that.

“How was work?” I asked him as we got into his Subaru.

“Eh, it was the same old stuff,” he replied, seeming bored with the subject. “How was your day?”

“It was productive,” I joked, smiling at him. “I have my whole apartment cleaned and sparkling.”

“Trying to stay busy?” he asked, eyeing me as he pulled up to a stop light. “Have you had a lot on your mind? Anything you want to talk about?”

“It's just the same stuff as the rest of the week, mixed in with everything that happened last night.” I gave him an honest answer, looking in his direction.

“I can't say I blame you for having all that on your mind still,” Roman replied as he pulled back into traffic when the light turned green. “About the stuff from last night, I would just file it away as your imagination running away from you, though, if I'm being honest.”

“I know, Roman. I'm sure that's all it was, but it just felt so real, ya know?” I was trying to get him to understand why it was bothering me so much. Even if it was just my over-active imagination, there was no way I could dream someone dragging me from the parking lot without actually moving myself.

“I can understand it feeling real to you, but you just have to keep reminding yourself that it was only a dream.” Roman paused, as if he wanted to say something else but wasn't sure how to word it. “I really think you need to get over your guilt of Cass, though.”

Roman knew exactly why I felt guilty about Cass. I had told him the real reason for that feeling a couple of days prior, and he didn't judge me or think of me as a bad person afterwards. That was one of the things I loved about having Roman as a friend. He'd listen to whatever I had to say without telling me I was horrible. 

“I just feel like if I had a little remorse in me for his death, maybe I could actually get over it,” I admitted to him. “I mean, he was a good boyfriend, and I loved him. I just don't understand why I don't feel sad about it.”

“It's because he caused it himself. I didn't know the guy, but we've got some mutual friends. As far as I heard, he was an okay guy who had a bad temper. That temper is what caused the wreck, right? So you don't need to beat yourself up over not feeling bad about the wreck.” Hearing Roman's words actually made me feel the slightest bit better about it, but only a little. 

The rest of the ride was spent in a comfortable silence, as I stared out the car's window at the thin crescent moon in the dark sky.

Roman pulled into the parking lot of Raw and chose the parking space right beside my car. As I got out, I saw a familiar face walking into the bar. On a whim, I decided I'd follow the Irishman.

“I'm going to go on in for a minute and talk to Kurt about my schedule,” I told Roman as I leaned back into his passenger side door. Technically, it wasn't a lie. I did need to go ask Kurt about picking up more hours regularly instead of just when people called in. “Thank you so much for the ride. And thank you for everything else.”

Roman gave me a smile, saying, “I've said it once, I'll say it again. Any time. Let me know when you get home alright.”

With that, Roman pulled out of the parking lot, and I was walking toward the bar entrance.


	4. Chapter 4

As I stepped through the doors of Raw, the only other bartender we had, Enzo, greeted me. He was a shorter man, only about three inches taller than I was. His body was full of tattoos, and he rocked a blonde mohawk that hung in his face most times. Enzo was always talking, whether it was talking trash to someone or talking up the ladies. I threw my hand up at him in a wave, then started looking around the bar.

I glanced over to the table where I'd seen Finn the night before. Coincidentally, he was sitting at the same table tonight. Once again, he was by himself. He already had his leather jacket off and hanging on the back of the chair, exposing his plain white t-shirt that fit perfectly over his muscular frame. His eyelids covered his sharp blue eyes as he was focused on the menu lying on the table. I decided that I should probably tell him thank you for helping to clean up my spill last night, especially since he didn't even work here. Feeling self-conscious all of a sudden, I took a deep breath and moved in his direction.

“Hey, Finn,” I greeted him as I walked up beside his table.

“Hello there, Aislin,” he said, a grin growing on his face as he turned to look up at me. “Are you working tonight?”

“No, I'm actually off tonight. I just had to come get my car and talk to the owner for a minute,” I started explaining. “I saw you here, though, and I realized I never got to thank you for helping Roman clean up for me last night. I really appreciate it.”

“Ah, it wasn't a problem, darlin'.” He scrunched up his face and waved his hand like it was no big deal, then motioned for me to sit down in front of him. “Since you aren't on the clock, how about you have a drink with me?”

There was no way I could turn him down, even if I wanted to. Not that I'd ever want to, I thought. 

“Okay, sure,” I said, smiling as I sat down and put my purse under my seat.

“Why'd you have to come back for your car?” he asked me, watching me with intense eyes.

“My friend had to drive me home.” A nervous laugh escaped my lips as I slipped my arms out of my thin black jacket and draped it over the back rest of the seat.

“Aislin!” a high pitched female voice said from behind me as she approached our table. “I saw your car here today and thought that maybe you'd come in for me again without knowing I was already here. Thanks for staying last night.”

Nikki, the waitress who'd called in last night and caused me to work over, raised her eyebrows as she looked over at Finn. She pushed her dark brown hair behind her shoulders and leaned down to me, attempting a whisper. “I heard Roman had to take you home last night because you had too much to drink. Did anything happen?”

I could feel my face turn about ten shades of red, probably matching the Raw shirt that Nikki was wearing. 

“No, Nikki, nothing happened. I was just tired and not paying attention to how much I was drinking.” I answered her in a half whisper while trying not to grit my teeth. Nikki had always been one to want every gossip story about every person who ever walked into the bar.

“Well is this your new boyfriend?” She pushed for more information, cocking her head in Finn's direction. “I've never seen him here before.”

I sighed, telling her, “No. I met him here last night.”

“I knew you wouldn't be one to jump from guy to guy after your boyfriend died,” she whispered to me, trying to make the statement sound like she was proud of me for not going off the deep end after Cass had died. Little did she know, I probably already had gone off, only not the way she was thinking. “Just take it slow.”

I was speechless. Nikki sounded like she was sincerely trying to give me good advice, but she didn't realize how her words came off to other people sometimes. I quickly glanced over in Finn's direction to see him giving me a sympathetic look, but he averted his eyes when he noticed I'd caught him. Obviously Nikki's whispering wasn't the best, even with the loud music helping to muffle her words.

“Okay, well,” Nikki said as she made a show of straightening up and smiling in Finn's direction, “My name is Nikki and I'll be your waitress tonight. What can I get for you?”

We ordered our drinks—Corona for Finn and a Pepsi for me—and Nikki brought them, luckily leaving us alone for a while afterwards.

“So you were drinking last night?” Finn raised his eyebrows at me as he took a sip of his beer.

“Only at closing time,” I tried to laugh it off, hoping that was the only thing Finn would mention about what Nikki had said.

“So that wasn't why you fell, then?” he asked, giving me the perfect opportunity to explain away my natural clumsiness.

“No, it wasn't. That was all me,” I admitted, feeling embarrassed all over again.

Finn grinned at my statement, then stared down at his drink. Without looking up, he asked, “Roman's the bartender who was here last night, huh?”

“Yeah,” I answered, suddenly feeling the need to explain myself. “He and I are just friends, though. He's like the older brother I never had.”

“It's really none of my business,” Finn said, chuckling to himself. He pulled his gaze from whatever he found so interesting on his bottle of beer, moving it to the hand I had wrapped around my own glass. “How's that hand doing? Did you need stitches?”

“Oh, no,” I raised my hand up to show him the fine pink line that remained on my palm. “It wasn't nearly as bad as it looked at first, apparently.”

Finn's eyes grew wide as he took in the sight. He reached over the table and easily took my wrist in his grasp, pulling my hand closer to his face. He took a moment to inspect the space between my fingers before speaking, his eyes never leaving my palm.

“It's almost healed completely,” he noted, looking amazed. “I could have sworn it was a lot bigger than this and would need stitches. This looks like it happened two weeks ago instead of just last night.”

I didn't have an explanation for him, so I once again let out a nervous laugh and pulled my hand back to my side of the table, wrapping it around my glass of soda again. Honestly, I didn't even have an explanation for myself as to why the injury wasn't a lot worse than it was. If he'd also thought it looked worse last night, wouldn't that mean we were both just seeing things? Or was that too big of a coincidence?

“So you're from Ireland, right?” I remembered exactly where he said he was from, but I was desperate to change the subject at this point. 

“Ah, yeah,” he started, shaking his head a bit, almost as if he were trying to shake my freak injury out of his mind. “A little town called Bray.”

“Is it pretty in Ireland?” I asked, honestly just trying to get him to talk more. That accent was something I could listen to all night.

We talked for a good hour about the mountains and hiking in Ireland, and how he owned a little cottage on the sea side. Of course, he had pictures of the views on his phone, so he made sure to show them all to me. He wasn't lying when he told me that it was beautiful in his home country, and I was sure that it would be even more breathtaking in person. 

The topic of conversation switched to learning about each other then. I found out that Finn had three brothers and a sister back home, along with a handful of nieces and one nephew. I was an only child, so growing up with siblings was something I knew nothing about. Finn would smile and laugh as he told me stories of things they'd done together, seeming genuinely happy. He didn't speak much about his parents, but I didn't press that topic because it was one I didn't want to talk about, either. After another hour of getting to know each other, I decided to find out what made him leave his home.

“So how long will you be in America?” I asked Finn, realizing that he may be gone soon.

“Just until I take care of my business here,” he answered, looking down at his drink. 

The whole night, he'd been making eye contact as he talked about everything else, so I could tell by his sudden change that the subject was probably making him uncomfortable. I had been testing the waters, trying to see if he'd let anything slip tonight instead of closing up when I asked him why he was here. At his sudden change of demeanor, though, I decided that I wasn't going to push the subject any further.

“I came to meet a friend,” he surprised me by explaining without me having to ask, seemingly searching for the right words. “I had met him while he was living in France a few years ago. I like to travel, so when I went back to France I just stayed over at his house. When I left, I realized I was missing something.”

“So you both decided to meet in America for him to return it?” I was wondering why he didn't just go get whatever it was he forgot from his friend's place in France.

“He actually moved to America shortly after I left France, so he has it here with him,” he answered, taking another drink of his beer.

“What was it that you forgot with him?” I wondered out loud, not really expecting Finn to answer me after he shut down last night when I tried to learn more about him.

“It was a family heirloom.” To my surprise, he told me about it. “I had a small dagger that had been passed down for generations in my family. It's a really dull thing, but it is supposed to bring good luck, so I always took it with me wherever I went. According to my grandfather, it had the power to keep away evil demons.” He smiled as if to say he wasn't so sure he believed that, but it still obviously meant a lot to him. Maybe his emotional attachment to misplacing this item was why he didn't want to talk about it the night before. What had changed from then?

“Maybe I need one of those,” I muttered to myself, not thinking before I spoke.

“You have evil demons you need to keep away?” he asked with a chuckle.

“Ah, not exactly demons,” I stumbled over my words, trying to think of anything else to talk about. I was thinking about the situation from the night before when the thought had come from my mouth unwillingly, but I didn't want to tell Finn that I may have been borderline insane at that time.

“Does it have to do with the boyfriend Nikki mentioned earlier?” Finn questioned me as he looked at me with understanding eyes.

I wasn't sure why I decided to spill my guts about Cass to Finn, but he had the type of kind eyes that told me I could tell him anything. They actually made me think of the way Roman looked at me before I told him something that I would otherwise keep to myself. It could have also been the fact that we'd been talking for two hours, and I already felt just as close to him as I did to Roman. 

Steadying my breath, I started to tell him about what had happened last week. I explained to Finn about how I'd moved here, even though my parents didn't agree with it. I told him all about how Cass had changed since we'd moved, and about how we'd started arguing more and more. Finn appeared to be genuinely interested in what I was saying, listening intently and giving me encouragement to go on when I'd lose my train of thought. When I got to the part of the story where Cass died, I had to stop and collect myself.

“You don't have to talk about this anymore if you don't want to,” Finn assured me, placing his hand over mine on the table. The simple act helped to calm my feelings about Cass, but it did little to still the waves of emotion I was starting to feel toward Finn. I'd only known this man for a few hours all together, but I felt a strong connection with him somehow. It was something I couldn't quite explain.

“I'm okay,” I smiled up at him, trying to prove that I wasn't as broken as he might think I was. “The demon I was talking about wanting to keep away from me is the guilt.”

“The guilt over being in the driver's seat when the car crashed?” he guessed, pulling his hand away from mine again and leaning back in his seat. The look he gave me almost made me think of a psychiatrist.

“No,” I responded. “It's the guilt of not feeling bad about any of it. It was his fault we wrecked, and I know that. I can't bring myself to feel remorse for him dying. I can't imagine saying 'it should have been me,' like most people would. It should have been, and was, him that died that day. I just feel like a horrible person for thinking that, though.”

“That's not a demon, love,” Finn said to me, his gaze meeting mine as he once again leaned closer to the table. “That's just human nature.”

“I guess you're right,” I replied, his words helping me more than anything Roman had ever said.

When I'd talk to Roman about this, he would always tell me that I shouldn't feel bad about not feeling bad. I knew that was basically what Finn was saying as well, but the way Finn worded it helped a little more than him just telling me I shouldn't feel guilty. The way he had said it was human nature made me feel like I wasn't the only person who had ever felt this way. 

“I've got to go talk to Kurt about something before he heads out for the night,” I told Finn as I pulled my jacket back on and retrieved my purse from under my chair. I needed to escape this situation for now so that I could get my mind straightened out. “Thanks for the drink, and thank you for talking to me. I've really enjoyed getting to know you.”

“Same goes to you.” His smile met his eyes, and he pulled a napkin out of the dispenser. “Do you happen to have a pen?”

I dug around my purse for a second before finding my favorite purple pen and handing it to him. He scribbled some numbers on the napkin, then handed me both my pen and the napkin. 

“Any time you want to talk about anything, you can call me,” he said, standing up to give me a brief hug.

I rose from my seat to meet him half way. Inhaling the scent of him, I was reminded of a warm summer night filled with bonfires. After I let go, I walked away to find Kurt.


	5. Chapter 5

After successfully talking to Kurt about giving me a few more hours a week, I walked back out to the tables, hoping that Finn hadn't yet left. To my dismay, his seat was empty. I remembered that he had given me his phone number, but I had always felt like I was bothering people when I called them. I would rather talk to someone in person than over a phone or through texts.

“He just got up and went out the back door not even two minutes ago,” Nikki said from behind me, noticing that I was looking toward where I'd been seated with Finn earlier in the night. I hadn't even noticed her walk up to me, so I must have been more distracted by Finn than I first thought I was. “He didn't look too happy. It looked like something was on his mind.”

Smiling at her, I said, “Thank you,” and moved for the back exit. 

I wasn't entirely sure why I wanted to find him again, but I felt this overwhelming need to know he was alright. If he had something bothering him, maybe he would want to talk about it with someone. Maybe, I thought, it had something to do with the friend he was meeting here. Plus, the idea of him going out to the back parking lot alone at night had me worried. What if the same thing that happened to me last night were to happen to him? I knew he looked like he could take care of himself, but after seeing him killed by Cass in my dream, I also knew I didn't want to see him meet with that fate in real life. 

That was only if I weren't imagining all of the events from last night like Roman suggested I had. Either way, I just needed to see that Finn was okay, I thought to myself. 

Pushing open the door, I prepared for the cold night as I pulled my jacket closed around me, zipping it up. I looked around the empty parking lot in search of Finn, but saw nothing. Making my eyes move in the direction of the dark tree line, I thought I saw two glowing orbs. They weren't red, but light blue. Confused as to what I was actually seeing, I took a few steps closer to the darkness, squinting my eyes. The hair on my arms started to rise with goose bumps, thinking that maybe I was walking straight for another attack.

At the edge of the parking lot, I stopped. I didn't want to walk any closer to the trees, especially with no flashlight and no defense. The light blue spots in the darkness were still there, almost staring at me. Surely those weren't eyes like I had seen in my dream. Maybe they belonged to an animal, I tried to convince myself, but my rational brain told me that no animal I would find around here would have eyes hovering seven feet off the ground.

At once, the single street light in the parking lot went out. My heart skipped a beat as I was tossed into total darkness, not even able to see the hand in front of my face. Panicked, I started to turn back toward the bar's exit, but I stopped when I noticed those blue glares getting closer to me. Again, the scene from my dream played in my mind—razor sharp teeth escaping mouths held under glowing, colorful eyes. 

I knew that if I turned my back to run, they'd just catch up to me easily. I decided that I had no other choice than to stand still and figure out what those lights were. My curiosity was itching to see proof of what I'd seen the previous night in the parking lot, even if the thought did terrify me. If the glowing spots were eyes that belonged to a person, I would decide whether to run or attempt a fight.

The blue glimmers continued to get closer until they were only a few feet from where I stood, then I heard a voice come from their direction. 

“The King has shown interest in you, it appears,” a low voice said, rumbling deep in the darkness.

My mouth couldn't form words as a thousand thoughts and questions ran through my head. The lights had to actually be eyes, and they must belong to this man who was speaking to me. Who was the King he was talking about, and what did he rule over? What was so interesting about me that would make a king notice? My own interest in what this voice was saying had me glued to my spot.

“I think I understand why, though,” the man's voice continued. “I saw what happened. He definitely has a good reason to be interested. Not only do you have a useful untapped talent, but you also have something that belongs to him.”

At his words, I recalled the growling voice in my dream telling me to “give it back.” Why that thought struck me at that moment, I wasn't sure. That was just a dream; the scene before me was very real and seemed very dangerous.

“Of course, our boss is interested in you as well. That's why I'm here.”

I didn't even have time to process what he had said. His cornflower blue stare came for me at an amazing speed as soon as the words were out of his mouth. Without even thinking about it, I dropped my purse to the ground and threw a punch directly under the eyes. I was surprised when my fist connected with what felt like a nose, the shock wave sending a sharp pain through my wrist. I wasn't dreaming after all; this was a person and he was obviously trying to hurt me. My punch didn't slow him down, however. As my eyes adjusted more to the darkness, I saw the silhouette of a man around the eyes. He appeared to be a very tall, heavy set man. 

I tried to throw another punch, not wanting to play victim to this psycho, but he quickly dodged my fist and threw one of his own. He was successful in connecting his fist with my stomach, making me double over in pain. As I was leaned forward, he grabbed my hair, pulling me upright again as the pain in my head made my skin crawl. I moved my hands up to my hair, scratching at his hand there. I was trying to get him to let go of me, but my efforts didn't seem to have any effect on him.

“You have a lot of fight in you. No wonder he's taking so long to deliver you.” The gravely voice was right in my ear as the man still kept me facing him with his grip on my hair, almost lifting me off my feet. 

I was no longer paying much of any attention to his words. Fight or flight had kicked in, and I needed to fight before I could get away from him. I kicked toward him, feeling my foot connect with his shin. He lightened his grip on my hair just enough for me to slide away momentarily before he grabbed my upper arm and dug his nails through my jacket sleeve and into my flesh. I was sure I'd have scratches there afterward, but that wasn't what was worrying me at that moment. 

I turned toward him again, failing to yank my arm free of his grasp. My actions only made him tighten his fingers around me, and I felt warmth flowing down my bicep and seeping into the fabric of my jacket. Keeping my mind from concentrating on the pain, I was getting ready to try my hardest at another punch in the nose. My thought was that if I could stun him long enough for me to escape to the bar, I could call the police and get this man out of here.

As I balled my fist up, I realized there was a red radiance coming toward me very quickly from the trees beside the parking lot where we stood. I decided to go ahead with my punch to this man's nose, but soon realized it wasn't needed as the flash of red was directly behind the blue eyes now, a good foot shorter, it seemed. I could make out the shadow of an arm go around the neck of the man who had my own arm in his grip. The owner of the red eyes pulled down on the neck of my attacker quickly, causing him to release his grip on my limb. I stumbled backwards, but couldn't take my eyes from the fight happening in front of me. 

With an arm still around the man's neck, the red eyed shadow pulled up, lifting the other man off his feet before slamming him to the ground on his back. The shadows started blurring into each other after that, with both of them attacking and getting right back to their feet.

I could hear grunts and see the figures swapping punches, but I couldn't make out who was winning or who was taking the most damage. As the red tinted shadow ran toward the blue one, I could see it jump, wrapping an arm around the larger one's neck and slinging it's body around the captive shadow. The man's head went limp after that as his body once again fell to the ground. I thought for a moment that I was going to witness the beheading of this evil soul, but what my eyes saw next was probably worse. 

The red eyes dropped to the ground with a guttural growl, just inches from the man's chest. 

“No, please,” I heard the voice from earlier begging. “I will serve you from now on, my king!”

King? Was this figure the king that the man had mentioned earlier? I could only assume so, with the way the man now spoke to him.

I vaguely saw an arm rise in the air, not giving the man a chance to speak another word. The raised arm came down with a sickening crunch sound, then went back into the air for round two. I was thankful to the night, for once, because it hid all the details of what was happening. In the darkness of the night, it appeared to me that the shadow on top was beginning to dig into the chest of the man who'd attacked me. 

After a few more cracking noises, the King stopped digging. I was frozen as I watched him throw something aside like an old toy. Was that a heart? I then realized that the blue glow had gone out, leaving a dead corpse lying under the smaller shadow. The King's outline stood up, then I saw a red-orange glow surround a set of hands, almost like he had called forth fire from his own arms. From under the glow, I noticed his blood stained hands suddenly come clean, almost like he burned the other man's blood from his skin. Then, as quickly as the glow appeared, it was gone.

I turned to run. Now that I knew for certain what I was seeing, I didn't feel like I needed to see anymore. However, before I could make my feet move, a hand reached out and gently grabbed my upper arm once again. I flinched, expecting pain to erupt in my body because of the first man's grip, but instead, I just felt the soft wetness of my blood drenched jacket touching my pain-free arm.

The hand easily pulled me over to face the blood red brightness, not using the same force as it had on the chest of the deceased body. I could make out the shape of a face surrounding the striking red glows, but I couldn't tune in on any other features. I was frozen by fear to that spot on the ground, unable to move, almost forgetting to breathe.

His left hand still on my right arm, the King took his other hand and raised it to sweep my hair behind my shoulder, then moved it to the zipper of my jacket. My breath caught in the back of my throat as he slowly pulled down on the zipper and unhooked it. He removed his grip from my arm and slid both of his hands onto my shoulders under my coat, easily sliding the light fabric down my arms. The jacket caught on my bent elbows, exposing my arms under my short sleeved t-shirt. I felt his movements as he gingerly trailed his fingertips down both of my arms. His touch moved over my injured bicep lightly, making me gasp at the warm contact. I turned my head down to watch his fingers move, but still couldn't see anything through the darkness.

The King moaned quietly, the sound sending shivers of pleasure down my spine. It was a barely audible rumble that almost seemed like a sound of approval as he felt the area of my arm covered in blood. For a moment, he let the tips of his fingers move around where the scratches should be, almost like he was trying to feel every gash that the other man had left there. When he felt satisfied with knowing the state of my injuries, he moved his touch back up my arm and shoulder, letting it whisper across my neck. My body's instinct took over as I let my eyes slide shut and tilted my head to the opposite side of his hand, trying to give him better access to my neck as my pulse quickened.

At once, his caressing hand stopped moving, but stayed resting on my neck. I slowly opened my eyes, fearing that he would disappear before I could see him again. Instead, I saw the red eyes slowly close. I noticed him shake his head, almost as if he were trying not to get distracted.

I felt him remove his fingers from my neck then. I almost let out a whine of disappointment as the chill of the cold night whipped around me, making me physically shiver. The King grabbed hold of the jacket pooled at my elbows, then slowly lifted it back into place around my shoulders. He let his fingers linger for a moment at the top of the jacket, directly above my collar bones, before removing his hands from me once again.

After that, I felt a palm rest on my head. Just like the night before, there was a warming sensation that came from the hand placed on the front of my skull. This time, though, it lasted a little longer and felt a little warmer. I felt my body getting heavier the longer the hand was touching me. Against my better judgment, I let my eyes drop shut, allowing the warmth to lull me into a state of near sleep.

“Are you the king that the other man was talking about? I heard him call you that... before...” I trailed off, not willing myself to complete my sentence. I wasn't sure where I had acquired the courage to speak to this entity, but I suddenly couldn't stop myself. It was a good thing that I wasn't expecting an answer, because I didn't receive one. “What are you doing?” I could hear the unexpected grogginess in my own voice, but I couldn't bring myself to open my eyes in an attempt to shake the tired feeling. 

“Shh...” the quiet sound came from the same figure holding onto me. It didn't sound threatening, but it definitely held authority. 

Until then, I had only heard him grunt and growl, so this was as close to a word as he let slip in front of me. His voice almost sounded like two different voices on top of each other, both rumbling at the same time.

I heard a low growl coming from in front of my face, sounding frustrated. After the growl, the heat left my head and I snapped my eyes back open. I was suddenly feeling more energetic than I had all week, but was disappointed when I realized I was once again alone. How did he get away from me so quickly, I wondered. There hadn't even been a full second between the heat leaving my head and my eyes opening.

I looked around, searching for the fire like eyes around the parking lot, but saw nothing gleaming in the dark. Getting my senses back, I realized there was still a dead body lying on the ground only a few feet from where I stood. Tearing my gaze from the shadow in the grass, I made myself turn to run toward the back door of the bar. I quickly got through the bar and to the front exit without running into anyone who wanted to talk to me. I had planned on calling Roman as soon as I got to the car. I also needed to call Finn, I thought. If he went out the back door like Nikki said, he could have very well ran into those men, too. 

As I thought about where I left my phone, I realized it was in the purse that I had left laying near the corpse. I cursed myself for forgetting it. That meant I had to go back there to retrieve it. Not paying attention, I ran directly into a hard body about half way through the well lit front parking lot of the bar.

“Whoa,” I heard a familiar Irish accent say as he lightly gripped my shoulders to steady me. “What's wrong, Aislin?”

“Finn! I'm sorry, it's just that—”

“Is that blood on your jacket?” Finn asked, cutting me off.

I raised my hand to the arm of my jacket, remembering that it had felt wet with my own blood.

“It's ripped, too.” Finn's look of concern made me want to cry. “Aislin, what's going on?”

“Hurry. Come back here and see before it disappears again,” I told him as I motioned him to follow me around the building and to the back.


	6. Chapter 6

I led Finn around the parking lot to the back of the building, opting to stay outside instead of going through the bar again. I wasn't sure how I made it through the first time without someone stopping to ask me about the blood, but I had assumed it was because everyone knew how accident prone I was and figured it was my own blood. That, and the fact that I basically ran through without giving anyone the chance to even see me had probably saved me that explanation.

We turned the corner of the brick building to see that the street light had come back on.

“This way,” I told Finn, grabbing his muscular arm and pulling him behind me, toward the grass at the edge of the parking lot.

Before we'd even approached the edge of the asphalt, I realized that there was nothing on the ground except the purse I had dropped. The lonely street light shone enough to let me see just past the parking lot, but there wasn't anything else lying there. I stopped in my tracks, causing Finn to bump into my back with a light grunt. He had been looking around the lot and not realized I had suddenly stopped. 

I felt utterly defeated. Again, I was left looking for make believe bodies and needed to explain myself to a man I'd dragged out here with me. I was just hoping Finn wouldn't turn tail and run when I started trying to tell him what had happened.

“What do you see, Aislin?” he asked me as he took a look at my purse on the ground in front of us.

“Nothing. I see nothing, and that's what's bothering me.” I sighed, letting go of his arm and putting my hands to my face. Turning to face him, I started pleading with him to believe me. “Finn, I know we haven't known each other long, but you have to believe that I'm not crazy. There was a fight out here and I saw it. A man died, just like last night. His body was lying right here in this spot, and now it's gone. The same thing happened last night. I brought Roman out here to see the body, but it was already gone, too. He said I'd probably just dreamed it all up because I'd been drinking a little, but I know I didn't. You aren't supposed to feel pain in your dreams! There's no way I could dream up these marks on my arm, Finn!”

With my frantic words, I pulled my jacket down around my elbows to once again expose my upper right arm. Now that I could see it in the slight glow of the street light, the sight made me do a double take. In the area where I assumed I would have huge scratches, all I saw were five light grazes on my skin where the hand had grabbed me. They each looked no worse than mere cat scratches. I gaped at what I was seeing, not able to form a coherent thought, let alone actual words.

“This is where all the blood came from?” Finn asked as he lightly touched the drying blood stuck to my arm, his gaze taking in the imperfections on my freckled skin.

I pulled away from his touch immediately, watching his eyes jump to my face in surprise. The feeling of his fingers on me sent an almost familiar spark through my body. I tried to calm it down, not thinking of anything but the missing corpse and the too small scratches on my arm. This wasn't the time for my apparently over reactive senses to be getting riled up.

“Yes, but I know they were bigger than this before,” I explained, still staring at the tiny cuts on my arm.

“Does it still hurt?” he questioned me, noticing how quickly I jerked away from him.

“A little,” I lied as I looked down to the ground. I had already noticed that the marks didn't hurt anymore when the King had grabbed my arm earlier.

“I believe you, Aislin. About everything,” Finn quietly said, taking a step back from me to give me breathing room. “I just need to hear everything that happened.”

My breath caught. I didn't realize how much I needed to hear someone say those words to me until they escaped his mouth. I didn't need someone trying to explain away my memories, like Roman had. I needed someone to hear my story and believe it exactly as I told it. I just hoped Finn still felt that way after I told him what had happened, including the luminescent eyes.

I breathed in as I once again returned my jacket to my shoulders, preparing myself to start from the beginning. I explained everything that happened the previous night, then I moved on to what had happened only moments ago. I made sure to remember the King's warm hand on my head this time, thinking that it was a significant detail since he had done it both times I'd met him. I also remembered what the other man had said; a king was interested in me and I apparently had something of his. The dead man had even said that his own boss, whoever that may have been, was also interested in me. The only thing I actively decided to omit was the king's exploring my arms and neck. I felt embarrassed for allowing that to happen and affect me as much as it had. It was definitely something I didn't want to repeat to Finn.

Watching Finn's face the whole time I was talking, I expected to see some sign of disbelief in his gaze. It made me feel better when he listened without interrupting me to tell me how far-fetched it all seemed. As I repeated the events out loud, I had to admit that it sounded like something from a movie.

“I know this all sounds completely crazy, but that's exactly what happened,” I said, almost begging him to not dismiss my tale as a trick of the eye.

When I was done talking, Finn surprised me by crossing his arms over his chest, looking into the distance, and saying, “I think I've seen something like that before.”

I was speechless. Finally, someone was taking this as seriously as I was instead of writing it off as me being drunk. Happiness started flowing through me, even though I knew that was the last emotion I needed to be feeling after what had happened.

“I've seen demons with glowing eyes back home,” he admitted, seemingly choosing his words wisely. “Anyone I tried to tell about it would always call me loony, but I knew I was seeing it. They would follow me around, but they wouldn't bother me like these here are doing to you.”

Demons? I had been thinking of these things as men, but demon seemed to fit better once I really put it into perspective. Gleaming eyes and that fire I'd seen from the King, along with the beheading and heart being ripped from the man's chest. They all seemed like things that you would see a demon do. Would a demon's touch be able to get the same reaction from me as the King's touch had, though? 

Shaking the thought from my head, I tried to stay concentrated on the important things.

Finn glanced around us at the darkness, then took on a look that said he was debating on whether or not to say more. He let his eyes continue to wander the parking lot and trees while he opened his mouth and continued. 

“The only demon king I've ever heard tale of was in Ireland. The demon king from our legend was called Balor. He was evil, and he would kill anyone just by opening his one and only eye and looking at them. I'm sure it isn't the same one from tonight, because you said he had two eyes. You also didn't die when you looked into them.”

I definitely didn't die when I looked into the red eyes of the King. It was more like a part of me came back to life after seeing his steady gaze on my skin. At this point, nothing could rip the memory of that particular demon out of my brain. 

“All the same, though,” Finn said, bringing me back to his words, “I think we should probably get out of here for now.” 

I agreed with Finn, suddenly feeling very paranoid. The way his gaze continually moved back and forth around us made me feel like he might have seen something that I hadn't noticed. The thought sent chills down my spine. 

I was quiet as Finn walked over and picked up my purse, then handed it to me. He took my hand and led me back through the parking lot to my car. My mind was swimming in a million different directions, not able to pick a single thought and stay there for longer than two seconds. As we approached the door of my car, a realization hit me.

“Finn,” I said urgently as I turned to him and looked into his crystalline eyes, my back against the closed car door, “I just remembered that when I was trying to fight the demon off, he said someone was taking a long time to deliver me.”

“Deliver you?” Finn questioned, looking as though the words caught him off guard. 

“That's what he said, but I'm not sure what he meant. I don't know where I'm being delivered to, or who's taking me.” Fear gripped at my throat, threatening to choke me.

Finn turned his head away and I heard him mumble something that sounded like a curse.

“Aislin, do you have someone who can stay with you tonight?” he asked me, his voice urgent as a determined look crossed his face. 

“I don't know,” I answered honestly, his question catching me off guard. “Roman is really the only person I've become friends with since moving here, and I don't know what he's doing tonight.”

“No, not him. Anyone but him,” Finn quickly replied, making me wonder why he all of a sudden didn't trust Roman. As far as I knew, he and Roman didn't even know each other. 

“He's just a friend, Finn. Like I said, he's the only one I have here since Cass died.”

“I should have known,” Finn whispered, almost in an angry tone. The way he spoke made me confused, almost like he knew something I didn't. He then took on the look of someone trying to think of a plan, raising his hand to his face to stroke his beard.

“What's going on?” I was starting to get very anxious at Finn's mood, not knowing what was going through his head.

“I just really didn't want you by yourself tonight in case something happens.” His voice went soft as he spoke, obviously trying to bring the rising tension of the conversation back down a notch or two.

Finn took a step closer to me so that our feet were almost touching. I could feel his warm breath on the top of my head as he gently took me into his strong arms, being careful not to wrap me up too tightly so as to not hurt my scratches. His gesture surprised me and it took a moment for me to regain my composure. After I realized what was happening, I tucked my arms against his chest and accepted his embrace. I took a deep breath as I closed my eyes, the smells of a bonfire surrounding my senses once again. Finn's hard body worked to ground me and keep me calm as my head was spinning with all the possibilities of who, or what, was “interested” in me and wanted me delivered like a package.

“Maybe I could stay with you tonight,” his Irish brogue whispered into my ear as he moved his head down, arms still wrapped around my body.

My common sense was screaming at me for even considering his words. Finn and I had only known each other a short time, but he had already become so important to me. He was the only person who believed my recollection of the demons. I felt such a strong connection to him that his offer almost seemed like something I didn't even need to think about before answering. The fear in my heart of being left alone after everything that had happened was the final pulling force to my decision.

Without moving, I mumbled into his shirt. “That would be okay.”

“I'm glad,” he replied as he removed his arms from around me and straightened himself back up. 

Opening my eyes again, I saw him let a small smile slide across his lips as he looked down at me. My body couldn't help but to react with a smile of my own. He moved to walk around the car to the passenger door, and I started digging through my purse for the keys so that we could get out of the parking lot. I retrieved them and unlocked the car doors, letting Finn in after I leaned over the seat to push up on the manual lock on his door. I buckled myself in as he took his seat.

As I started my car, I thought of something.

“What about your car, Finn?” 

“I don't have one,” he explained. “I'm staying at the hotel across the street, so I've just been walking here the past two nights.”

“So were you trying to walk back when you went out the back door of the bar?” I asked, wondering why he'd chosen that door if he were in the hotel in front of the bar.

“I never went out the back door. I left through the main entrance after I finished my drink when you walked away. I had just walked outside when you ran into me.” I could see his face in the glow of the bar and parking lot lights. He looked like he was trying to solve a puzzle that no one else could come close to figuring out.

“Maybe Nikki just mistook you for someone else, then,” I said in a low voice, almost as if I were trying to will myself to believe the words.

“I'm sure that was what happened.” He once again let a smile show in my direction, the concentrated look from before now gone from his face.

That was a good enough answer for me, so I put the car in gear and started home.


	7. Chapter 7

The ride home was spent in silence. I kept my eyes on the dark road, but I hardly remembered the drive after I pulled into an empty parking spot at my apartment building. I had been zoned out the whole way, trying to get my thoughts straightened out in my head.

I processed all the things I knew for sure. I had been attacked the night before, then saved. I was attacked again not even an hour earlier, then saved again. The King, as the other man had called him, was definitely not wanting me dead, otherwise he'd have let me die the first night. Though, he was interested in me for some kind of “untapped talent,” according to the fierce voice of the second attacker. I also apparently had something that belonged to the King. For the life of me, I couldn't figure out what it was that I supposedly had come into ownership of. The attacker from earlier had also said that his boss, whoever that may have been, was interested in me. Was it because of the talents he spoke of? What talents did I even possess that would interest these men? I could play the bass guitar, but I highly doubted they were trying to form a rock band and were fighting over my mediocre playing skills.

Add these facts to the possibility of the men being demons, and it turned everything upside down in my mind.

“How are you feeling?” Finn broke the silence as I put the car in park and let it idle, my hands still tightly gripping the steering wheel.

I took a moment to collect my thoughts before answering. “Physically, I feel fine. I'm not hurting anywhere, and I don't feel exhausted or anything.”

“But mentally?” he pressed, turning in his seat to look at me.

“Mentally... I don't know,” I let out a chuckle, something I did when I was stressed out. I finally let my emotions bubble over and bust out of my mouth, keeping my eyes turned straight ahead at the building in front of me. “Mentally, I feel like I should just go back home to my parents. I feel like I just need to start all over. I feel like my pride is probably going to get me killed at this point. If I just go back home, the attacks will stop, right? Unless someone is stalking me and follows me there. Then, I'd just be putting my parents in danger. If it really is a demon king that wants me, I don't want him anywhere near my family. I have to stay here until I figure all of this out. I feel like I'm going crazy. Roman doesn't believe a word I say, and that really hurts because I thought we could trust each other with everything. Not that I can't trust him, but I trust him to believe me when I'm trying to tell him something as important as this, not just dismiss it as a dream. I feel like curling into a ball and staying inside until all of these emotions go away; like the guilty emotions about Cass, the betrayed emotions about Roman, and the unsure emotions about what could be demons.” 

I had started crying at some point in my breakdown, my words getting louder and louder as I spoke. I didn't even remember when the tears started streaming down my face, but there was no stopping them after they'd been set free. I needed to get all of the emotions out, though. It was helping to get all the feelings off of my chest, especially since Finn was actually listening to everything I had to say.

I leaned my head down on the steering wheel, finally removing my hands from it and placing them in my lap.

Finn reached over and put his fingers under my chin, tilting my head up to look in his direction. I was sure that my face was red and my eyes were swollen, but it didn't stop him from trying to comfort me. 

He gently wiped my cheek with the back of his other hand, then asked me, “Feel better now that you've got all of that out?”

“Actually, yeah,” I answered, trying to regain control of the situation. “Thank you for listening to all of that.”

“We'll figure this out, Aislin. I'll be here to help you,” he said softly, his icy blue eyes giving me chills as he kept them trained on my face.

He removed his fingers from my chin, and I took a minute to wipe the rest of the tears from my face before turning the car off. I heard Finn open his door quietly, seeming lost in his own thoughts. He was probably wondering how he got mixed up with a lunatic like myself, I thought. 

I slowly got out of my car and made sure the doors were locked again before leading Finn to the front door of my apartment. This late at night, all of my neighbors' lights were out, so the street lights and the sliver of moon were the only things illuminating our path.

“It's not much, but this is where I call home for now,” I said as I opened the door and walked into the living room, stepping aside to let Finn enter. I turned the light on there, then started for the kitchen to switch that light on. After everything was illuminated, I dumped my purse on the kitchen table like I always did when I got home.

“It's lovely,” Finn replied, following me into the small kitchen.

“Do you want something to drink?” I asked him as I opened the refrigerator to retrieve a can of Pepsi from the fridge. I needed the extra sugar to help my mind concentrate, I thought.

“No, thank you,” he replied as he propped his shoulder on the door frame between the kitchen and living room, crossing his arms over his chest. 

As I straightened myself back up, I noticed that Finn was studying me with his piercing eyes. I tried not to let his stare affect me as I slipped my shoes off, sliding them under the kitchen table. 

“You should probably go get your arm cleaned up, darlin',” he said as he pushed himself off the door frame and walked up to me, looking down at the tattered sleeve of my jacket.

I had completely forgotten about the blood and rips in my jacket, along with the dried blood on my arm. “Oh, yeah,” I mumbled, more to myself than to him as I moved my eyes down to the ruined sleeve. “You make yourself at home, okay? I'll get this cleaned off and be right back in here.”

He smiled and said okay as he strode back into the living room. He pulled his phone out of the pocket in his leather jacket before taking a seat on my couch, concentrating on the phone screen as I sat my drink on the kitchen counter and walked into the bathroom.

I removed my blood-stained coat and lightly tossed it into the trash can beside the bathroom sink. There was no saving it. Looking at my t-shirt, I noticed that blood had also gotten on the edge of that sleeve. I sighed as I pulled the fabric over my head and tossed it into the hamper beside the bathtub. I was hoping I could salvage my shirt because it was one of my favorites. It was worth a shot, I thought to myself.

I turned the water on in the small sink and grabbed a wash cloth from the cabinet above the toilet, soaking it in the warm water flowing from the faucet. I gently wiped at the marks on my arm, waiting for the sting that usually came with washing new cuts. The pain never came, though, as I cleaned away all the blood that stuck there. 

Once I removed all of the blood, I realized that the marks on my arm had gotten smaller again. They were now light pink lines, just like the one on my palm the last time I had glanced at it, instead of what looked like cat scratches. That thought made me turn my hand up, checking the status of that first injury. 

I gasped as I saw that there was absolutely nothing on my hand. There was no cut, no scab, and no scar. It appeared as though nothing had happened, even though I was sure it had been sliced open the previous night. There was no way I could write this off as my eyes playing tricks on me anymore.

Worry, nervousness, excitement, fear, and wonder all filled me as I pulled open the bathroom door and ran for the living room, yelling Finn's name. I almost slipped on the tile floor as I rounded the corner of the hallway, causing me to let out a small shriek of panic. I quickly regained my composure and continued through the hallway.

“What's wrong?” Finn was automatically to his feet, throwing his phone down on the couch and casting his gaze around the room as if in search of something trying to attack us. He seemed as though he were preparing for a fight. 

When I entered the room, his eyes grew wide, his eyebrows rising almost to his hairline. “Ai—” 

I cut him off as I jabbed my right hand toward his face. “Look! There's nothing! It's completely healed!”

Finn seemed as though he was having a hard time seeing my outstretched limb, moving his view back and forth between my face and my palm. Realization hit me and I froze, not able to bring myself to move. In my excitement, I had run out of the bathroom without donning a clean t-shirt. I was standing in front of Finn in my jeans and black, lacy bra. I could feel my cheeks start to warm with the blush that I was sure was visible. I moved my hand down and balled it into a fist in front of my chest as I turned my gaze down to the floor.

As I was about to turn and run back to my room, Finn quickly shut his eyes, shook his head, and opened them again to concentrate on my hand. He reached up and lightly took my wrist in his grasp, grazing my chest as he did. I tried to hold my breathing at a steady pace as I opened my fingers back up to let him see my now scar-free palm. I watched for his reaction as he started moving my hand back and forth in front of his face, almost like he was trying to find the missing scar. There was clear astonishment in his features. 

When Finn was done inspecting my skin, he pulled my hand down, level with his chest, so that he could look me in the eyes, still gently holding my wrist.

“Aislin, this is really amazing,” he said to me, still being a gentleman and only looking at my face.

“I don't know what's going on. This kind of thing has never happened to me before,” I admitted, feeling more self-conscious than I ever had before. The feeling had more to do with my disappearing cut than anything else at that point. I was starting to feel like a freak of nature when a thought occurred to me. 

“Finn, what if this is it? I all of a sudden start healing really fast, then that first demon attacks me. What if this is why he attacked me to begin with? What if this is why the Demon King wants me? I can't figure out what other 'untapped talent' I might have that would interest demons.”

He once again looked down at my hand in his grip, seemingly thinking my words over. “This has to be it,” he whispered, not moving his stare from my hand.

“I don't know why this started happening. But...” I trailed off as I started putting puzzle pieces in place inside of my head, forgetting the fact that I was half naked in front of this man. “I wasn't supposed to walk away...” My body started tingling in excitement as the pieces clicked together.

“What are you talking about, Aislin?” His sparkling eyes jumped back to my face, looking very interested in my words.

“I wasn't supposed to walk away from that wreck. The doctor told me that the way the car had hit, I was lucky to be alive. What if...”

“You started healing quicker than normal on that day.” Finn finished my thought almost too perfectly.

“That has to be it, Finn. What other explanation is there?” I wondered, more to myself than anything. There really was no other explanation, I thought. This was the first piece to this whole puzzle of why the demons wanted me, and now I needed to get the rest of the pieces to line up. “What do we do about it, though?”

“Is there really anything we _can_ do about it?” he questioned me, but his features held the look of someone in deep thought.

I let my hand relax between his fingers then, letting my gaze move to the completely healed palm that Finn was holding. I wasn't exactly sure where to go from there. We thought we had figured out why the demons were attacking me, but what could we do to stop it? I wasn't sure how I came about this power, if that's what I could call it, and I didn't even know if I could control it in some way. Of course, it could have been something that I had no control over, and it just happened on its own. Maybe, I thought, being at death's door had gifted me this. I had no explanation for why it was happening, but it was definitely happening.

While I was thinking things over, Finn started moving my hand again, pulling my attention back to reality. He held my wrist to the side, level with my own shoulder, then took a step closer to me. I felt his breath on my face as I tilted my head up to see him take a deep breath, then turn his attention from my hand back to my face. He licked his lips and let his eyes continue to wander from there, down my neck and chest.

It was then that I remembered my lack of clothes.


	8. Chapter 8

My heart beat quickened as I made a failed attempt to conceal my rapid breaths while keeping my gaze on this man's face. Finn didn't seem bothered by it, though, because his own breathing was becoming just as heavy as he took in my exposed skin. His eyes were shining like a crystal clear ocean as he turned them back to my reddened face. He licked his lips again, then took his bottom lip into his mouth. The motion sent tingles throughout my body as I felt a warmth rise in my stomach.

He finally released my wrist, but I left it where it was. My thoughts were too cloudy to even think about letting it relax to my side. If I made one wrong move this could come to a stop. Against my better judgment, I didn't want this to end yet. Moving his hand instead to my cheek, Finn's other hand gently found a home on the opposite side of my face. Before I could decide if I needed to walk away or not, the decision was made for me. Finn leaned his face down to my own, closing his eyes and tenderly placing his lips on mine.

My body automatically responded as my eyelids drooped closed. I moved my raised hand to the back of his head, gently letting my fingers slide through his hair. My other hand rested on his stomach between his opened jacket, feeling the rock hard abs under his t-shirt. I could feel myself warming to his touch with every move of his mouth. After only a few seconds, he pulled away, resting his forehead against mine. I felt a whine involuntarily escape my throat in protest of him removing his lips from mine. My lids slowly came back up as I kept perfectly still and stared into his face.

Eyes still closed, he took a few deep breaths before opening them again to look into my own eyes, his touch still surrounding my face.

“This is okay?” he asked with a low, intoxicating voice as his Irish accent seemed to become thicker.

I couldn't bring myself to form an actual word, so I mumbled what I hoped sounded like an affirmation. It apparently did the trick as Finn once again leaned forward to capture my lips with his own, this time more sure of himself. Heat flushed my core as the need for this man rose to levels I'd never felt for any other man.

He let his hands slide from my cheeks to tangle in my hair, pulling my face closer to his own. I inhaled the scent of him as I rose to my tiptoes to deepen the kiss further. The hand I had placed on his abs balled into a fist, grabbing at his shirt with purpose. 

Finn once again broke the kiss, taking his hands from my head. I removed my hands from his body as he slipped his leather jacket off, exposing his muscular arms. He tossed the jacket aside in the floor before taking the hem of his t-shirt in his grasp. I found myself pushing his hands away from his shirt, though, as I took the fabric in my own hands. I pulled up on the white shirt, revealing a chest and abs that could have been carved from marble. The sight alone had my stomach doing flips in anticipation. I let his shirt drop to the floor to join his jacket, then I allowed my trembling hands to explore his body. I traced the ridges of his chest before moving lower to his stomach, his eyes watching me the whole way. Finn let out a moan of pleasure as I stopped just above his belt line.

“Like what you see?” he asked with a well deserved cockiness that said he knew he had the body of a god.

“I'd like to see more,” I replied slyly, almost not recognizing my own heady voice.

Finn's eyes watched me intently. I unbuckled his belt and let his jeans slide to the floor. I took in the sight of him in his boxers, the fabric tented in the middle. Surprising myself with the confidence I suddenly had, I rubbed my palm against him through his boxers. He sucked in a harsh breath through his parted lips as a curse slipped past his tongue.

After kicking out of his shoes and stepping out of his pants, he wrapped my waist in his arms as he fell back to sit on the couch, placing me on his lap. I straddled his hips, his raised erection a barrier between us. I placed my hands on his shoulders as he pressed against my back, pulling me closer to his face once again. Instead of my mouth, his lips met the tender skin below my jaw, pulling a small gasp from my throat. I tilted my head to give him better access as he tasted my neck, then moved down to the dip in my collar bone.

His kisses crept downward, but came to a stop at the top of my left breast, my bra blocking his route. With his fingers still at my back, he easily unhooked and removed the only thing that stood in his way. When my bra joined his clothes on the floor, he continued his trail of kisses, taking my nipple into his mouth and sucking lightly. He took my other breast with his hand, grazing his thumb over the peaked skin there. I let my head fall back as my eyes closed, letting the pleasure he caused take over my actions. I gripped tightly onto the muscles of his shoulder, and he let out what sounded like a low growl. Not able to concentrate, I couldn't make myself wonder why that growl sounded familiar.

After he was sure that my breasts were taken care of, he moved his hands under my thighs and lifted us both off the couch. I wrapped my legs tightly around his hips, causing him to release another moan at the friction against his hardness.

“Do you have anywhere more comfortable, love?” he questioned, his voice still low as he effortlessly held my weight without breaking a sweat.

“Back room. Bedroom,” I stuttered out through short breaths.

He took the five steps through my small apartment to the bedroom door and pushed it open with his foot, then gently laid me on the bed. He stood at the foot of the bed, taking in the sight of my body, ready and waiting for him.

“These are in the way.” He motioned at my pants, then placed both his hands on the foot of the bed and slowly crawled up my body until he was straddling my thighs.

With amazing speed, he had my jeans unbuttoned and was pulling them down my legs. After they were removed, he came back to take care of the last piece in his way. This time, however, he took his time. He placed his thumbs in the elastic of my panties, slowly pulling them down my thighs. His thumbs grazed my skin the whole way down, causing the need inside of me to grow stronger with every touch.

After he had me completely stripped, he did me the favor of discarding his own last piece of clothing. The hardened flesh that sprung from his boxers had me panting, and his face said that he appreciated my reaction.

Finn once again crawled up the bed, this time in between my spread legs, making eye contact the entire way. He sat on his knees as his gaze slowly slid down my body, then came to a stop at the moist flesh between my legs. Licking his lips again, he took hold of my knees and pulled them up, wrapping them around his neck as he bent down. He placed his hands on my thighs, leaning his head toward where I needed him the most. I could feel his warm breath on my wet lips, making me shiver with excitement as he once again looked up to my face. With his tongue, he separated the folds and teasingly stroked the bundle of nerves there. I couldn't help the moan that I let go as my back arched into his touch. I found myself letting my hands get lost in his hair, pulling him closer as if I were begging for more.

He answered by continuing his exploration with his mouth. As he dipped his tongue inside of me, I could feel the wound up nerves in my stomach trying to release. Finn could tell I was close to the edge, so he quickened his pace. He lapped at every inch of the warm flesh, moving between suckling motions and flipping motions with his tongue. Finally, the release came over me with such force that it took my breath. I was left gasping his name and obscenities that would leave anyone speechless.

Moving my legs back down to the bed, he sat back up and licked his lips again, removing what was left of my release from his mouth. 

“The sweetest thing...” he trailed off, making the blush return to my cheeks.

He then crawled up my body, placing his muscular form over me. I found myself exploring his abs with my hands once more as he positioned himself. As I felt his head teasing my entrance, I slid my hands under his arms to his back to brace myself. He entered slowly at first, gauging my reaction and giving me time to get used to his size. Again, my back arched of it's own will and unintelligible noises came from my mouth. The feeling was pure bliss, and I needed more of him.

“Finn, it's okay,” I managed to whisper between gasps, meeting his gaze with my own.

He took the invitation and sped up his thrusts, digging deeper and deeper with each one. He placed his hands under my head as he continued his efforts. I could feel a warm heat coming from his hands, but I disregarded it as body heat. I was sure my own body temperature had risen by a few degrees as well.

His hands almost seemed to cool down as he took a handful of my hair and gently pulled, hitting my sweet spot at the same time. As my head tilted back, I got one more glance at his face. He was closing his eyes, but I could have sworn that I saw a flash of red enter his normally bright blue eyes before his lids came down all the way. Not having the ability to question it at that moment, I allowed my mind to once again go blank and think of nothing but the pleasure this man was bringing to me. It wasn't long before we were both crying out, my nails leaving rake marks down his back as we rode out our orgasms together.

Afterwards, we were both spent. Finn collapsed on the bed beside me, turning onto his side to study my face. We were both taking time to catch our breath, and didn't speak for what seemed like hours. I was sure it was actually closer to five minutes before Finn finally spoke, however.

“I'm sorry, I just couldn't control myself any longer,” he said softly as he placed his hand on my cheek again.

“Don't you dare apologize for that,” I replied with a smile. I closed my eyes and placed my own hand over his, leaning into his touch.

If I were being honest with myself, that experience was exactly what I needed to release all of the tension my body had built up since the wreck. Nothing else had been able to make me forget about all of the emotions swirling inside my head until then. Putting aside the fact that I had only known Finn for such a short time, I felt closer to this man than I ever had to Cass. There was just something about Finn that connected us in a way I couldn't even begin to explain.

Finn let out a chuckle as he removed his palm from my face and slowly stood up. I watched the muscles in his back move as he returned his boxers to their place around his hips. He sat down on the edge of the bed, letting his hands fall between his knees as he stared down at the floor.

“Do you still want me to stay with you tonight?” he asked as he turned to look at me, his accent easier to understand now that he was concentrated on his words.

“I would like that,” I replied as I crawled from the bed to retrieve my panties and the old t-shirt I slept in.

Finn watched as I redressed myself, then stood up and walked toward the bedroom door.

“Where are you going?” I asked, my mind still a little hazy. I was actually worried that he may be leaving, and panic started to grip my heart. I was not interested in sleeping alone tonight, I thought to myself.

“To the couch,” he answered as he turned back around in my direction and let a small smile grace his lips.

“Why?” I questioned him, not sure of why he'd be wanting to go back out there.

“To go to sleep,” he replied, almost in a questioning tone. 

“I think you've earned the right to sleep in the comfortable bed with me, Finn.” I laughed at him as I realized he was trying to be a gentleman after what had just happened.

With a grin on his face, he walked back to the bed to join me. Settling under the covers together, we finally managed to get some well deserved rest.


	9. Chapter 9

I woke up the next morning to Finn's hard chest pressed against my back, his arm lazily wrapped around my waist. That was the first night in a week that I had actually slept peacefully. The warm body keeping me company all night was probably to thank for that. His deep breaths acted as a lullaby to pull me into a dreamless sleep. Add that to the fact that all of the night's events had drained me of any energy I had in my body, and I felt like I could have probably slept for another couple of hours. 

Instead of lying there wondering what had come over me the night before like I normally would have done if it were any other man in my bed, I didn't let my mind think of anything at all. I shut my eyes again, allowing myself to enjoy the still silence and the feel of Finn lightly breathing at my back, presumably still asleep. His dark beard tickled my neck as he snuggled closer and pulled me tighter against him. Maybe he wasn't as asleep as I first assumed, my mind mused as I let out a small giggle. As I pushed further into him, I could feel something hard pressing into my backside. He was definitely not still asleep.

As he started snaking his hand down my stomach, we were startled by a sudden, loud pounding noise at the front door of my apartment. Finn surprised me, suddenly bolting up to a sitting position and raising his arm protectively over me. He started scanning the room for any signs of where the sound came from, but before he could say anything, it started back again. His eyes jumped to the open bedroom door, trying to see into the living room.

“Someone's at the door,” I told Finn as I sat up beside him, my voice still hoarse from the long sleep.

“Are you expecting someone?” he quietly asked. His own voice still sounded very tired, but his eyes were wide awake and on full alert.

“Not this early in the morning,” I told him as I rubbed my eyes and looked at the alarm clock on my bedside table. The small screen told me that it was only nine in the morning. To some people, that wasn't early; but to someone who worked a late shift, it was basically the crack of dawn. 

“Aislin! Open up! Please!” I heard a familiar, masculine voice call out from behind the apartment door.

“It's Roman,” I muttered to myself as I placed my hands over my face, breathing in deeply to calm my nerves. 

I spared a glance toward Finn and saw a look I'd never seen him wear before. His eyebrows were drawn together as he almost seemed to squint his crystal blue eyes in the direction of the noise, a frown sitting on his lips. He was obviously not happy that we'd been interrupted, and the fact that it was Roman at my door probably didn't help. I had told Finn that Roman and I were only friends, but it still seemed that Finn had something against Roman.

“Do you want me to ignore him?” I asked, willing to pretend I was sleeping right through Roman's yelling and knocking if it meant getting to spend my morning in bed with Finn.

“You better go see what he wants. He sounds like he's going to beat the door down if you don't answer soon.” Finn laid back down on the bed, turning his head to the ceiling and placing his arm over his face as more knocks sounded through the apartment. I watched as he sighed and licked his lips, suddenly reminded of the way he'd done that exact thing last night. Heat started spreading through my body all over again, and I hoped I could get Roman out of here as quickly as possible.

“I'll try to make it fast,” I told Finn as I crawled over him to the edge of the bed, purposefully letting my body stay hovered over his for longer than it needed to be.

He moved his arm from his face and gave me a wicked smile, saying, “Please do.”

I stood up from my bed and went to my closet, finding a clean pair of jeans to quickly throw on. I could hear Roman pounding on the door again, so I left the bedroom and shut the door behind me, not wanting to explain my guest to my best friend. I sped up my pace and walked over to the front door as Roman was going through yet another round of knocks.

“Aislin! Come on!” he was yelling, sounding very worried about something.

I turned the doorknob and was met with Roman in my doorway, wearing a black v-neck shirt and loose fitting jeans. When his chocolate colored eyes met mine, he let out a sigh of relief. 

“What's wrong? Why the early visit?” I asked him as I stepped back and let him enter the living room. I had never seen Roman get too excited or upset over anything, so if something was bothering him, I thought it had to be big.

He stepped inside and looked me over, running his hand through his long, dark hair as he sighed in relief.

“You never texted me or anything last night. I asked you to let me know when you got home safe, but I never heard from you. I tried texting and calling you, but I never got a response. I thought maybe you'd just gone to sleep and didn't hear it, but then you didn't reply this morning either, so I got worried.”

“I'm sorry, Roman,” I said as I crossed my arms over my chest, thinking of why I never heard my phone. “I left my phone in my purse on the kitchen table last night. The battery is probably dead, so that's why I never answered. I was so tired when I got home that I honestly just forgot to let you know I had made it.”

“It's okay, I'm just glad you're alright.” He smiled at me as his eyes turned down to the floor.

That was the exact moment I realized that I had made a huge mistake.

Roman's eyes froze on a pile of clothes laying in the living room floor in front of the couch. His smile instantly faded as I followed his gaze to the incriminating pile of laundry. Finn's jacket, shirt, pants, and shoes were still laying where we had dropped them last night, along with my bra.

“You were just too tired to let me know anything, Ai?” Roman asked, sarcasm dripping from his voice. He turned his eyes back to my face and I met his gaze. “That jacket looks familiar.”

“It should,” I heard Finn's accented voice say as he stepped out of my bedroom and into the living room in only his boxers, retrieving his clothes from the floor. Anyone would be able to tell by his tone that he didn't appreciate Roman being there. “I was wearing it when I met you at the bar a couple nights ago, Roman.”

My stomach dropped to my feet as I gaped at Finn. This was not how I wanted my morning to go. I had just wanted to sleep until I had to get ready for work; either that, or spend time doing something else with Finn before work. I almost felt mad at the Irishman for making his presence known, but then I realized that I had no reason to hide what happened last night from Roman. It wasn't like he was my father or my boyfriend. That still didn't mean that I wanted Roman to catch us in the act, though. I was worried about what my best friend would think of me after this, especially since my boyfriend had only been dead for nine days. 

The tension in the room was palpable as Finn pulled his clothes back on in front of us. I looked over at Roman to see that he was watching Finn with almost the same expression that Finn wore when I told him it was Roman at the door. No one spoke as Finn redressed himself.

“Do you want me to go?” Roman finally asked, no humor in his voice as he returned his stare to my face.

“It's fine, I was just about to leave,” Finn answered before I had the chance to say anything as he sat down on the couch to tie his shoelaces. 

“Wait, you don't have a car here, Finn,” I protested as I watched him stand back up and walk over to me.

“It's fine, darlin'. I can walk from here. Not that I need the exercise after last night.” He smiled and winked at me as he leaned down to place a feather light kiss on my cheek, bringing a blush to warm my face. He then started for the door before I could further my argument. “Text me later, okay?”

Finn walked past Roman and to the door, the two staring each other down as Finn passed him. I almost felt like I was watching two alpha male dogs size each other up before a fight. 

After Roman and I were alone, there was an awkward silence as neither of us moved. I tried to think of anything to say to defend myself against the scrutinizing look Roman was giving me at that moment, but nothing would come to mind. He seemed as though he were trying to decide how he should react to this whole situation.

“I get it,” Roman finally said with a sigh as he placed his fists on his hips and softened the hard gaze he was giving me, letting a very small smile grace his lips. “You got lonely and he was at the bar, right? I get it, honestly. I just wish you would have picked someone a little... safer.” He seemed like he was trying to search for the right word, but I wasn't sure he got it right because there wasn't anything unsafe about Finn as far as I knew.

“That's not exactly what happened, Roman,” I tried to defend my own honor, at least a little bit. “Something happened while I was at Raw last night. He came home with me so that I wouldn't be alone. As far as I know, he isn't dangerous. You don't even know him.”

“What happened last night at the bar?” Roman asked quickly, his gaze automatically growing concerned, only focusing on the one sentence.

“You wouldn't believe me if I told you,” I muttered, sweeping my eyes to the floor in front of his feet.

“I want to know, Aislin,” he pushed as he moved closer to me, placing one hand on my shoulder gently. “More illusions?”

“Not illusions, Roman.” I held up my palm for him to see, proving my point that something strange was going on around me. “My hand is healed completely.”

Roman took one look at my hand, and then tried to dismiss it. “It wasn't that bad to begin with, Ai. It's been two days now, so I would expect that little cut to be healed.”

“What do you mean it 'wasn't that bad to begin with'?” I asked him, disbelief in my voice at what he was trying tell me. “It was bleeding all over the place, Ro!”

“It doesn't seem weird to me that it's healed already,” he answered, pushing my hand back down to my side.

“I was also attacked again,” I said in a voice that almost dared Roman to brush it off as a dream or a trick of my eyes.

“By who?” he asked as he finally let go of my shoulder and took a seat on the edge of the couch, patting the spot beside him.

I sat down on the farthest end of the couch from Roman, then explained everything that had happened at the bar the previous night after I walked out of the back door at Raw. I told Roman exactly what I had told Finn. He listened without interrupting me, but his face was skeptical.

“What did Finn think about all of that when you told him?” Roman asked, his question taking me off guard. I expected him to start giving excuses about why I couldn't have possibly been seeing those things, or for him to even ask if I was hurt. Instead, he wanted to know Finn's reaction.

“He believed me,” I simply said. 

“He believed that you saw people with glowing eyes? That you witnessed someone getting their heart ripped out? That apparently some demon king wants you?” he questioned me, his voice unbelievable.

“Yeah. He saw these scratches on my arm before they healed, just like my hand did.” I lifted the over-sized sleeve of my t-shirt to give Roman a view of my arm.

“There are just scars there, Aislin,” he replied as he leaned closer to my arm.

“But they were huge gashes last night. Wait!” I exclaimed as I jumped up from the couch. “I have proof.”

I grabbed Roman's arm and made him follow me to my tiny bathroom, pulling my jacket sleeve from the trash there. He took in the sight of the rips and blood on the sleeve before I returned it to the trash.

“I'm not saying I don't believe you, Aislin,” he said as he walked back to the living room in front of me. “I just need to see things to believe them.”

“After work, then. We'll go out there and see if we can find something.” I wasn't entirely sure that I wanted to find anything, but I needed Roman to believe what I was saying, just like Finn did. “They were there two nights in a row. I'm sure they'll still be there tonight.”

“Okay, deal,” he replied, smiling at me as he walked to the front door of my apartment. “I'm going to get on out of here now that I know you're safe. I'll see you at work.”

Roman left and I was finally alone—not that I wanted to be. I decided to get my phone to a charger before I had to leave for work, so I retrieved it from my purse and plugged it up beside my couch. As soon as I switched it on, it started vibrating non-stop because of messages and missed calls from Roman. Not even reading the messages, I deleted them all. Pulling a crumpled up napkin from my purse, I decided I would text Finn and make sure he had made it back to his hotel room safely. 

I sent the text and waited for a few minutes, but didn't get a response. Sighing to myself, I decided it was time to get ready for work.


	10. Chapter 10

I had been checking my phone for a new message from Finn every ten minutes since sending him my text. Every time my phone would buzz, I'd get butterflies and jump to check what it was. Sadly, they were all just stupid notifications from my apps, most of them I just cleared and ignored. 

The whole time I had been getting ready for work, I couldn't keep my mind off the fact that this was how Roman probably felt when I never answered him. I wasn't sure if Finn had gotten to his hotel safely, or if he'd gotten hit by a car on the way. I started to regret not making him let me give him a ride, but that would have probably just upset Roman even more. I already felt like he believed I had ignored him because Finn was over, but I honestly had just forgotten about my phone last night. I wishfully checked my phone one last time before walking into the doors of Raw, once again seeing no new messages.

I arrived to work at noon, clocking in and noticing Roman wasn't there yet. He had been scheduled to work from noon until nine that night, just like I had, but no one had heard from him. Kurt was behind the bar, making drinks for early customers since Roman wasn't there. He gave me a questioning look as I walked past him. I shrugged my shoulders at him as I debated on whether or not I should call Roman. I decided against it in the long run. He was probably just running a little behind, I thought to myself. I had told myself that if he didn't show up by nine-thirty, I would call to see if he was okay.

I was preparing to take orders when I finally saw Roman enter the bar ten minutes late. He came in rushing, but the fact that he was late wasn't what had grabbed my attention. Around his left eye was a dark purple bruise that couldn't be hidden by his caramel skin tone. I walked up to him as he was apologizing to Kurt for being late. Kurt walked away and Roman positioned himself behind the bar, ready to start serving drinks.

“What did you do?” I quietly asked as I stepped beside him to look up at his eye.

“Nothing,” he replied, turning his head from me.

“Obviously that's not nothing, Roman. Are you okay?” I was trying to move around him so that I could once again look him in the face, but he continued turning to block my view.

“I'm fine.” His answer was short, sounding very aggravated. “I don't really want to talk about it right now.”

“Did someone hit you?” I pressed, trying to get more information out of him. As far as I knew, Roman had no enemies. He was friendly to almost everyone, so there was no need for him to be getting into fights. The only person I'd ever seen him be less than friendly toward was Finn.

At my thought, my mind started jumping to outrageous conclusions that were so far away from being plausible. I automatically started wondering if Roman had tracked down Finn before work and gotten into a fist fight with him. That would be a good reason for Finn not answering my texts, and explain Roman's eye. The thought was so ridiculous, though, that it almost made me laugh when it entered my head.

“I said,” Roman started as he turned to me and used his size to make me back up a couple of steps, “I don't want to talk about it right now.”

I took the hint and walked away, not used to seeing Roman like that. He had never gotten ill with me, especially when I was just trying to make sure he was okay. Since he had come to my apartment, though, his whole attitude had seemed to change.

Leaving Roman alone for the night, I focused on taking orders and not tripping as I delivered food. The night seemed to drag on as I kept an eye on the entrance, hoping to see that familiar leather jacket walk through. It never did show up, and I was still left with no answer as to why Finn seemed to be ignoring me. When I saw Nikki come in to relieve me, I almost felt a tinge of disappointment at not having more time to wait and see if Finn came in. 

As I left Nikki the orders I hadn't yet taken out, I grabbed my purse and walked toward the time clock. I was just ready to go home.

“We still going demon hunting?” I heard Roman ask from behind me as he joined me at the time clock and smiled, obviously not forgetting our deal.

I remembered that Roman and I had made an agreement. We were supposed to make an attempt at seeing more glowing eyes. He had said he'd come with me in search of the Demon King that I kept running into in the back parking lot of Raw.

Roman's attitude had seemed to get an adjustment some time throughout the night. He once again seemed like the friend I had come to love like a brother. I wasn't going to try to ask him about his eye again, though, in case he still didn't feel like telling me what had happened. Looking at the bruise again, it almost seemed to be smaller than it was when he first got to Raw that night.

“If you really want to, then yeah,” I answered him, trying to return a smile. “I really want you to see what I've been seeing the past couple of nights. I need you to believe me.”

“Okay, where do we start?” he asked as he punched his time card and put it back in the slot beside the clock. He sounded like he was honestly taking me seriously, which is something he hadn't done as far as demons went.

“This way,” I told him as I clocked out and grabbed his arm, leading him toward the back exit of the bar.

We stepped outside to the cold night air, neither of us wearing jackets. We were both dressed in the red, short sleeved uniform polo shirt that Raw provided, along with our black pants. Roman never wore a jacket, though, and I was currently out of coats thanks to the demon from the night before.

“So we're looking for the Demon King, right?” he asked me as he headed toward the glowing street light in the middle of the parking lot.

“Yes, but we're also looking for any bright eyes. I'm starting to believe that if we find other ones, the Demon King will show up,” I answered Roman as I placed my purse on the ground beside the door, then followed him through the parking lot and into the dull light.

“That's what I'm hoping,” Roman quietly said, as he looked around the darkness. I couldn't tell if he was trying to poke fun at me for believing in this, or if he truly wanted to see the Demon King I'd been telling him about.

We waited outside under the street light for what felt like hours, trying to see some sign of anything out of the ordinary. Both Roman and I stayed quiet the whole time, watching for movements or lights that floated in the trees. Finally, a thought struck me.

“Maybe we need to go to the darkness,” I spoke, breaking the quiet night that surrounded us.

“You don't think they'll come if we're in the light?” Roman questioned me with a smile that was almost patronizing as he looked down to my face.

“Both times before, they'd been in the darkness. The first one dragged me over to the trees, and the second one waited until the street light went out. Maybe they don't want to be seen,” I replied, getting excited about my idea as I started slowly walking out of the dim light and toward the grass just past the asphalt.

My heart was starting to flutter, wondering if this really was the best idea I'd ever had. If any demon came to attack us, there was no guarantee that the King would be here to save me this time. Could Roman and I really get away from some demon on our own?

“Are you sure about this, Ai?” Roman asked as he followed close behind me. 

“Yes, I'm positive. I just really want you to see the Demon King who saved me.” I slowly approached the edge of the parking lot, keeping my eyes open for colorful flashes. I never stepped into the grass, not wanting to lose what little sight I did still have to the looming darkness around the trees. I noticed Roman had stopped following me about half way between the street light and the grass, so I turned on him. “Come on! I know he's out here somewhere, Roman. Just wait.”

My eyes scanned every shadow I could see through in the tree line, but I saw no signs of movement to alert me of anyone's presence. No glowing embers were looking back at me from any dark space in between the trees.

“I'm not seeing any red eyes,” Roman said as he stepped to the edge of the parking lot a few feet to my right, once again sounding like he didn't want to believe a word I had said.

Of course, it could have just been that he didn't believe in the things I was trying to tell him. We humans generally had a hard time believing in fairy tales. The one man who did believe me, though, was nowhere to be found. I still hadn't heard from Finn, and I was beginning to wonder if maybe he'd been attacked by some demon because of the fact that he was close to me. The thought sent my heart into panic mode, but I pushed it back. There was no way Finn had been attacked by demons.

“Come on, Aislin. We've been out here for almost an hour now. Aren't you ready to go home?” Roman asked me, suddenly moving his eyes back and forth through the shadows. He had been in total agreement with this plan at first because he assumed we wouldn't find anything, but he all of a sudden seemed to be second guessing this whole mission. “If you were honestly attacked the last two nights, is it really a good idea for you to be back out here? Especially if there's some Demon King lurking around?”

I was starting to wonder if Roman was actually worried about my safety, or if he was just afraid in general. As far as normal things went, I knew it took a lot to scare Roman. He was over six feet tall and built like a professional wrestler; he feared no man. Then again, I was trying to convince him that it wasn't a man out here hiding in these shadows.

“He saved—” Before I could get my sentence out, a hand was around my throat.

My eyes darted away from the shadows I was searching until they found the face inches from my own. The man with his hand around my throat looked normal enough, except for certain features that I could see on his face under the black hood of his jacket. I could actually see that he had sharp teeth and green, glowing eyes set too far back into his skull. If I could have seen his hand around my throat, I would have guessed that he had claws to match his jagged teeth based on the painful stinging sensation on my neck. I felt warmth start to drip down my skin where his nails ripped into the flesh.

It really was a demon, I thought. Finn was right, and I would probably never get the chance to tell him that. 

In a panic, I attempted to find Roman, but I couldn't move my head all the way around to face where I had last seen him. I managed to turn my head just enough to catch him to my right in my peripheral vision. I could see that he had turned his body to face me instead of the trees. He had his fists balled up at his sides, but he wasn't making an attempt to get the demon off of me. I had the idea that he knew he couldn't take on this demon by himself, so he was waiting for an opening. I just hoped that I could hold out until he got one.

Roman didn't realize that there was a man standing behind him, close enough to reach out and grab him. A black hood covered most of his face as well, but I could see the faint glow of green eyes that matched the set in front of my face. It didn't look as though Roman had noticed the man to his back, though, because his gaze was solely focused on me. I was beginning to wonder why Roman still wasn't moving, but the demon in front of my face commanded my attention.

“Come out, come out, wherever you are,” he sang out in a raspy voice that sounded as though he smoked three packs of cigarettes a day. “I think we're looking for the same person, sweetie.”

It was then that I saw what I had been looking for as I turned my eyes back to catch a glimpse of Roman. The red glow of eyes in the shadows directly behind Roman and the hooded figure still standing perfectly still at his back sent chills down my spine. Before I could see anything else, though, the man in front of me used his free hand to straighten my head, forcing me to face him and take my eyes off the red light that they obviously hadn't noticed.

Less than a second later, I heard two bodies hit the ground, then a third thudding sound fell to the ground. My heart stopped, thinking the King had killed both the attacker and Roman, but I soon heard Roman coughing and wheezing to get his breath back.

Almost instantly, I was flipped so that my back was against the man holding me, his hand still tightly around my throat. My vision was starting to get blurry thanks to lack of oxygen, but I fought to keep just enough air in my lungs to see straight. I needed to see exactly what my savior looked like this time, and I was now facing the shadows where he had hidden himself from us. I could see the outline of a man who looked to be about six feet tall, but the darkness hid everything else except those fire-like eyes.

“Come one step closer, and she's dead,” the man at my back said, looking into the fierce red eyes peeking out of the shadows.

“You won't harm her,” an accent growled back in response. The statement was just as much an order as it was a threat, coming out of the shadows with two tones. The voice sounded familiar, but the low undertone and the fact that I was starting to get dizzy from not breathing wouldn't let me key in on who it belonged to.

The grip at my throat tightened even further, as the man behind me protested. “You want to bet, King Ba—” 

Quicker than my eyes could keep up with, the red glow was gone from the shadows, and the voice behind me was cut off mid-word. The grip at my neck loosened. I heard coughing from behind me, then my assailant fell away from my back. I dropped to the ground on my hands and knees, struggling to fill my lungs once again. 

“Aislin, run!” I heard Roman shout from my left now that I had been flipped around.

I turned to face Roman and noticed the body of the demon who'd stood behind him laying headless on the ground, inches from where Roman was. The head was almost a foot behind the body. 

Roman was making his way to his feet, and was trying his hardest to get to me. I wasn't entirely sure why, though, because I was safe now. I had finally found the man I was looking for so that I could prove to Roman once and for all that I wasn't crazy. Slowly, I started to turn my head so that I could see the proclaimed King in the dim glow of the one street light the parking lot offered.

“Don't move,” the accented voice said. It was then that I realized his accent sounded Irish. Almost like another voice I knew, minus the odd two-toned attribute it carried. 

I immediately stopped moving, not wanting to upset the man who had saved me three times. I stayed on my hands and knees, facing Roman, fighting every urge I had to quell my curiosity and peek behind me. Roman had also stopped his movements, obviously taking the Demon King seriously.

Keeping my eyes on Roman, I watched his expressions for some sign of what was happening behind me; but when the same crunching sound from the last night started, I had a good idea of what was going on. It was a good thing that the Demon King told us not to move, because I didn't want to witness what I was sure he was doing. Roman looked like he could burn a hole through the Demon King, though. The look on his face was pure hatred, and it made me wonder why. I had never seen Roman look at someone that way.

Suddenly, a heart was dropped just inside my range of view. I was sure that heart had just been inside the monster who had me by the throat. I then heard the King go down on all fours, and the parking lot around the two attackers and the heart started glowing. 

Before I could blink, the bodies were gone, along with the heart and head. At least I finally knew why there were never bodies when I tried to show people after being attacked the first two times.

After the glowing stopped, I heard the King get back to his feet and felt a warmness behind me. I assumed he was cleaning the blood from his hands with the fire he called forth from his arms, just as he did the previous night. Mere seconds passed before the warmness went away and I once again felt the chill of the night.

The overwhelming need to thank the Demon King washed over me, and before I knew it, I was speaking, turning my eyes to the ground in front of me.

“I just want to tell you how much I appreciate you saving my life. I owe—” but again, I was cut off.

“Don't,” he said, the deepness in his voice starting to recede. My breath caught as I slowly began to realize why he sounded familiar. “You don't want to tell a demon that you owe him. If you tell me that you owe me your life, I'll have to take the debt some day, whether I want to or not. Balor will make me, no matter how good my control over him is; and I'd rather not kill the woman I've fallen in love with.”

When the realization of who I was talking to hit, my head snapped back up. I turned around to look at him, despite him telling me to not move. I knew he wouldn't hurt me, even if I did disobey him. Like I had told Roman earlier, there was nothing dangerous about this man.

There he stood, still wearing the jeans and white t-shirt I last saw him in. His skin was different, though; shades of red mixed with black to make random patterns along his arms and face. His fingernails were longer, and I was sure he'd have the teeth to match. Then there were his eyes. The same fire in them that had been there every other time I'd seen these eyes. I'd never imagine these eyes belonging to this man, however.

I took a steadying breath and attempted speaking his name. 

“Finn?”


	11. Drag Me To The Grave

“Aislin, you need to run. Go back inside,” I heard Roman say from behind me. “That isn't Finn. It's the Demon King, Balor.”

I barely processed Roman's words as I stared at the Demon King standing before me. My head was spinning as several different emotions attacked my heart. Fascination, anger, wonder, confusion, gratitude, along with many more feelings were bombarding me all at once. I couldn't focus enough to zero in on just one, so I sat there, on my knees, staring at the man who I had shared my bed with just the night before. 

“Aislin, I said go!” Roman was right behind me as he grabbed my shoulder and pulled me backwards to stand between me and the Demon King. “You aren't going to get her.”

In the blink of an eye, the man Roman had now called Balor closed the distance between himself and Roman. He took Roman by the throat and stared him in the eye, the red glares growing brighter as he held Roman in place.

“Don't touch her again,” Balor growled at Roman, baring jagged fangs at him. The deepness had come back to his voice, and it was once again the two toned sound that I'd only heard from the shadows.

“I don't think you know what you're up against, Balor,” Roman spat back, taking the other man's wrist in his own grip and trying to remove it from his throat. With this motion, flames jumped from Balor's arm and hand as the smell of burning flesh hit my nose.

When my mind finally processed what was going on, I jumped up from the ground. I stumbled over to the two men to grab the demon's arm. The flames didn't burn me, but they immediately went out when I touched the red and black flesh of the demon.

“Please! Don't hurt him,” I begged as I tried to pull the hand from Roman's neck. To my surprise, Balor let me remove his grip from Roman, but I didn't take my hand from his arm.

“Aislin, he's dangerous,” Balor growled in my direction, eyes still trained on Roman's face.

Confusion hit my features as I moved my gaze to Roman, who was still giving Balor a death glare. Why would this man who I'd seen rip out the hearts of other demons think that Roman was the dangerous one? I had never seen Roman hurt a fly, much less a person. The thought that he was dangerous was almost laughable to me.

“I know when I'm outmatched,” I heard Roman's deep voice say on a sigh. 

Suddenly, Roman's eyes started gleaming an intense rust colored brown. My stomach twisted into knots when I realized what I was seeing. My best friend, the man I thought of as an older brother, was not at all who I thought he was. He turned his gaze from Balor to me as his eyes glowed brighter and brighter, an almost hurt expression on his face.

“I'll be back for you later,” he whispered in my ear, then he was just... gone.

I heard Balor growl low in his chest as I released his arm and fell to my knees, the confusion taking over my movements as I sat there and stared up to the Demon King. Nothing made sense anymore. Roman had been adamant about the things I was seeing only being my imagination running wild, but he had to have known all along that the demons were real. Why did he lie to me? Why was he going to be back for me? A few of the missing puzzle pieces fell into place when I remembered the demon from the previous night saying something about me being delivered. Was Roman supposed to be taking me somewhere? Was he just trying to gain my trust to deliver me to the other man's boss? Was Roman actually working with the demons that Balor had been killing?

Too many questions about Roman were flooding my brain, so I worked quickly to just shut it all down. I cleared my mind and only thought about what was in front of my eyes—Finn, Balor, The Demon King. I realized he was staring down at me, the red gleam in his eyes slowly getting dimmer.

As I watched him taking long, deep breaths, his eye color slowly changed back to the cool blue eyes of Finn. His skin gradually lost the red and black designs, once again becoming the pale skin of the Irishman I knew. Finn was back, if he'd even left to begin with. He crouched down beside me, placing his hand lightly on my shoulder as he continued his deep breaths.

“Balor? Please,” I started, tilting my head down to stare at my open palms in my lap, “tell me what is going on.”

“Finn, love. I don't like hearing Balor's name on your lips. It's too vulgar a name for you to speak,” Finn replied as he took two fingers and slipped them under my chin, lifting my eyes to meet his now ocean-like blue ones. His face was all seriousness as he said, “Can we please go somewhere else to talk? We need to get you someplace safe and warm. You're shivering.”

I hadn't even noticed the cold. There were too many other things that I was trying to think about, so the whisper of the fall air wasn't phasing me in the least. The only thing that made me want to get up from my spot on the ground was the fact that there may have been more demons lurking in the shadows. I was confident that Finn would protect me, but I didn't want to make him have to.

I let him take my hand in his and help me to my feet. Still holding onto my shaking hand, he started walking toward the trees. I stopped him, planting my feet firmly in the ground as he looked back to me. I had come to trust Finn, but that didn't mean I wanted to go wandering through the shadows when I knew demons were roaming around.

“I just need to get my jacket, Aislin. It's okay,” he explained with patience as he looked back to me.

He tried flashing a smile in my direction, but it was too forced. He must have been able to tell I was uncomfortable with going that far into the trees, so he released my hand and ran for the darkness at a human pace. When he emerged, he had his leather jacket in his hands.

Finn walked back to my side and placed his jacket around my shoulders. Without having to think about it, I slipped my arms in the sleeves and inhaled the familiar scent of summer coming from his jacket. Once I had it on, I took Finn's hand again.

We walked back to the rear exit of Raw, allowing me to pull my purse from the ground, then we took the long way around the building to the front. I led Finn to my car, unlocking the doors and letting him take the passenger seat. As I ducked behind the steering wheel, I glanced across the parking lot to see Roman's Subaru sitting a few spots down from us. I wasn't sure if his car still being here meant that he was still close, or if he had used some kind of demon power to just transport somewhere else. I shook the thought from my mind then, still not wanting to think about the fact that Roman was a demon. Without speaking, I drove to my apartment.

I still couldn't get my thoughts straightened out. I needed answers from Finn. I needed answers from Roman. I was highly doubtful about Roman wanting to answer any of my questions, but I needed to know why he hid this from me. I felt so betrayed as I thought back to the hurt expression Roman had given me. He hadn't tried to harm me, but he was obviously not trying to save me, either. I recalled the way he had acted as the demon had a hold of my throat. He was standing there, staring right at me. He didn't offer to save me, but instead waited on Balor to show up. I wondered if that was the plan all along—to use me as bait to lure the Demon King out of hiding.

As far as Finn went, he was just as guilty as Roman. He knew about all of the attacks, but didn't tell me that he had been the one saving me. The fact that he had, indeed, protected me was the only thing that kept me from turning my fury on him while he was trapped inside of my car. That alone was his saving grace, so to speak. Even though he didn't want me to outright say it, I owed this man my life.

I could feel Finn's steady gaze on me as we pulled into the parking lot of my apartment building. I avoided looking at him as I got out of the car and locked it back after Finn had exited. I walked up the sidewalk to my front door, unlocked it, and allowed Finn to enter behind me. As usual, I threw my purse onto the kitchen table after turning the lights on and pulled a can of Pepsi out of the refrigerator. Still not saying a word and avoiding his gaze, I walked into the living room and sat down on the couch.

After taking a few big gulps of my soda, I finally looked over at Finn. He was standing in the doorway between the kitchen and living room, leaned up against the frame with his arms crossed over his chest just as he'd done the night before. He was watching me like I might break down at any second, but I couldn't blame him. I very well may have broken down if it weren't for the fact that I knew I was going to get answers tonight, one way or another.

“You might want to go wash the blood from your neck before we start talking,” he said softly, finally breaking our silence as he eyed my neck.

I had forgotten about the demon's claws digging into my skin. It no longer hurt and I was sure that it was already healing, just as my other wounds had done over the past few days.

I slowly stood back up and made a trip to the bathroom to wash the blood away, noticing that the cuts were already closed, just as I had suspected. After I was done, I made my way back into the living room to reclaim my spot on the couch. Finn was still standing where I'd left him, a bright blue gleam in his eyes as he focused his attention on me.

“I have to admit, you look good in my jacket,” he tried to lighten the mood as he sent a slight smile in my direction. I wasn't in the mood for anything other than figuring out what was going on, though.

“Okay,” I quietly said as I met Finn's gaze. “I'm ready. Let's hear it. Everything. Start from the top. Who exactly are you?”

Finn sighed and came to sit beside me, but changed his mind. Instead, he sat at the opposite end of the couch and turned to face me.

“I'm still the same man as before,” he started, sighing deeply before delving into his past. “My name is Finn Devitt. I was born in Ireland about a hundred years ago. I told you about the Demon King from Irish myths last night, but what I didn't tell you is that his soul isn't dead. It's true that Balor was defeated by his own grandson centuries ago, but Balor's soul was never destroyed. I came into possession of it. Or rather, it came to possess me. 

“It was when I was only thirty five years old, and I had been running errands for my sick mother. I was returning home to my cottage one night when a peddler stopped me to beg for food. I had nothing to give him, so I told him as much. I noticed he was acting strange, so I quickly started walking away from him. Before I knew it, he had jumped in my path, his skin turning black and his eyes turning red. He was the vessel that Balor had chosen, and that night, he chose a new one.

“Balor's soul has been jumping from mortal bodies since his death. He was trying to find a strong enough physical form to endure him taking over completely, but a weak enough will power to gain access to that control. If Balor tries to completely overtake a human's body when it isn't strong enough to endure the transformation, the body shatters and Balor has to find a new one.

“When I realized who stood in front of me, I pulled my dagger from the sheath. It's the same dagger I'm here for. With it, you can kill an otherwise immortal body. Ya see, when Balor enters a human, the body becomes immortal, never dying unless it's too weak for Balor to take full control. My dagger was made with what was left of Balor's energy at the battlefield where he was defeated. I'm not even sure how my ancestors got their hands on it, but they did. It had been handed down for generations, finally making its way to me. I had used it that night, digging it into the heart of the innocent human who happened to be in the wrong place at the wrong time when Balor caught him. The peddler's body fell away, but suddenly, I could feel a pressure forcing itself inside of me.

“I lost consciousness after that, but I do know that in that time, Balor had complete control of my body. When I woke up, I was deep in a forest with blood on my hands. I could see images of innocent people being slaughtered as they slept, but I didn't have a say in the matter. When I realized what had happened, I once again drew my dagger. I had planned on killing myself, taking Balor out with me. Before I could do it, though, I heard a voice inside my head. It was the growl of Balor. He told me that it was pointless to kill myself, because my blade wouldn't kill his soul. It would only kill the body. I thought about what happened to the other man when I killed him in the hopes of ridding the world of Balor's possessions, and I realized that what he said made sense. If my dagger was able to kill Balor's soul, he would already be dead.

“Since then, I've had to fight and train myself to control the evil spirit inside of me. I've never let him have full control again. I figured, as long as I had control of him, it was better that he be here with me. He isn't going to hurt anyone if he's trapped in my body, and I can keep him quiet.”

“So you are actually a human who just happens to have a demon's soul living in you?” I asked after he'd taken a pause in his story.

“Pretty much, yes. I don't know that I'd be considered human anymore, but that's what I was when I was born,” he replied, never taking his eyes off my face. 

He must have been looking for a reaction, but all I felt now was curiosity and sadness. Finn never asked for this, but he didn't have a choice in the matter.

“If you have control of the soul and don't want him to take control of you anymore, why did you let him do just that when you were fighting the demons?” I questioned him, remembering that he could not have been a normal human when flames were coming from his arms.

Finn took a second to choose his words, then answered, “The Balor you've seen for the past three nights hasn't been all of him. I pull on his strength just enough to do what needs to be done, but I never pull enough to let him take over completely. I've always been in control of him since I learned how to hold him down. He doesn't make decisions for me anymore. If I let him have full control, there's no telling what he would do at this point. There's a war going on right now between the demons, however most of them want nothing to do with it. Most of us just want to live a peaceful life, but there is a group of demons who are trying to overthrow the Demon King. Balor has always been known as the strongest demon. Now that he's in a human's body, some of the demons want revenge for things that Balor did to them before he was defeated, even at the cost of my life.

“I will not let them kill me just for revenge on him. If they kill me, Balor will just find another body to possess, and the process will continue. The next poor soul may not have the will power to control Balor like I do, so it could be devastating if he finally finds someone who is not only strong enough to withstand his power, but weak enough to give him the control he needs. I have no problem taking out demons who already have innocent lives on their hands. In my eyes, they deserve it. Of course, it may be a bit of Balor's influence as well. He has a will to survive just the same as I do.”

Finn stopped his story again, letting me take in the information. If I hadn't seen the demons and seen what Finn could do while apparently borrowing Balor's strength, I would call the police to come get this man and take him to an asylum. I did see it all, though, so I had to take him at his word.

“Okay, I believe you,” I told him as I picked my can of soda back up and took another long drink. 

Sitting it down, I thought of all the other questions that I needed answers for. Now that I knew exactly who Finn was, I needed to know why he wanted me, why the other demon's boss wanted me, and what exactly Roman was. I decided to start with the question that I knew Finn could answer with certainty.

“Why did that demon last night tell me that you were interested in me? What is it about me that would interest demons?” I asked, turning my gaze to once again meet his eyes.

“The reason I'm interested in you is because you now have a small piece of Balor's soul inside of you,” he answered me, his eyebrows drawing together as he licked his lips, trying to think of how to explain this.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I don't name my chapters normally because I can't come up with that many names. xD  
> But when we start into a new arc, I'm gonna name the chapters that start it, like this one.  
> This is a song name by the band Black Veil Brides, and it really got me pumped to write this whole next, like, 15 chapters. lol. I highly suggest it. They're an amazing band. =]  
> [Random info from Footy.]  
> I love you all. =]


	12. Chapter 12

I tried to keep up with Finn's words, but what he said just caused more questions to erupt in my mind. I was never possessed by Balor, so a part of that evil soul being inside of me made no sense.

“I thought his soul was inside of you, though,” I replied, trying to understand what he could have been talking about.

“It is. It all was, anyway. This didn't happen until recently,” he gave me an apologetic look as he continued. 

“It wasn't because of last night, was it?” The theory hit me like a ton of bricks as I thought maybe that's how Balor's soul had managed to slip into my body.

Finn let out a small laugh at my panicked look. “No, this happened a little over a week ago.”

“But I didn't know you a week ago. That's when...” I trailed off, trying to make everything fit into a time-line I was working up in my thoughts.

“I had been following a demon for a month, hoping that he would lead me to the rougarou who I believed to be leading a growing army of demons against Balor.” 

At my confused look, he took a moment to explain. “A rougarou is basically an American werewolf. They have the head of a wolf and the body of a man, but the group of demons wanting to kill me are all very diverse. There are several different kinds of demons in their ranks. They also have a witch on their side who can conceal a demon's true form if he can't do it himself. The rougarou migrated here from France after Balor defeated their strongest leaders there and ran them out of the country. The rougarou I'm looking for is the same friend who stole my dagger, hoping to use it to kill Balor. I only know him as Wyatt.”

“But that doesn't explain why I got part of the demon's soul,” I interrupted Finn as I leaned closer to him in my seat.

“I'm getting there, darlin',” he replied with another forced smile. “I have to explain a couple more things for that answer to make sense.”

“Okay, I'm sorry,” I said, relieved that Finn had the patience of a saint. “Go on.”

“The demon I was following was an ogre who had received the help of the witch to create a human appearance. I believe you knew the ogre as Cass.” Finn paused, gauging my reaction at the mention of my dead boyfriend.

I just stared at Finn, unable to form words at his statement. Surely Finn was mistaken, I thought. I couldn't bring myself to believe that the man I had lived with for six months was actually some kind of demon ogre. How did he hide something like that from me for so long? I thought we had known everything about each other, but I was apparently wrong. There were small signs, though, as I thought about him. He was seven feet tall and had a fierce temper. As far as I knew, ogres were notorious for being big demons who had a hard time controlling their anger. Then a thought occurred to me.

“If he was a demon, how did a car crash kill him?” I asked in a disbelieving tone, thinking that the explanation for why I had a piece of Balor's soul could wait for now.

“Do you really want to hear this part, Aislin?” Finn returned with a question of his own. “It's not pretty, and you may hate me afterwards.”

I seriously doubted that I could hate Finn, no matter what he told me, but the nerves in my stomach almost made me tell him to skip this part of the story. I had a feeling that I knew what was coming as I pulled up the memories from the day of the crash. I just needed to hear Finn say the words as the image of red eyes hanging over my almost unconscious head returned to my mind. That was something I had forgotten about until this moment, even though I'd seen his red eyes every night for the past three nights. The smoldering gaze being there when we wrecked was something that I had never taken a second to think about, dismissing it as a hallucination from being unconscious.

“I need to hear it,” I told Finn as I straightened my back and made sure I was looking him straight in the eye, prepared for whatever he may say.

“Cass didn't die because of the wreck. I was following you two that day. You were on your way to Raw, and I was close behind. When I saw the car hit the light pole, I knew there was no chance you'd survive unless I interfered. When I got there, I smelled your blood and realized why Cass had you move to this town. He was supposed to be taking you to Wyatt because you have the blood of a healer, though your talent was untapped. I'm guessing that the witch had a plan to bring forth your power, but I accidentally beat her to it.

“I got to the car to see if you had somehow managed to survive the incident, but you were only hanging on by a thread. When Cass saw me go toward you, he jumped out of the car. He recognized me as Balor, and thought that I was going to take you so that the other demons couldn't use your healing powers. He attacked me, and I fought back. I killed Cass, Aislin. I'm sorry that it has been causing you guilt, but I'm not sorry that I did it. You were right when you said that he deserved it. I just hope you can forgive me.” 

Finn stopped there, once again waiting for me to react. The only feeling that I had in my gut, though, was relief. I had been feeling so guilty for not being more upset about Cass's death, but if he were actually a demon intending to take me to be used in an uprising against the Demon King, I had no need to feel guilty. All of the time we spent together was just an act to get me to follow him to his leader. The only thing I felt in my heart for Cass now was betrayal and anger.

After taking a moment to calm most of my emotions, I spoke again. “Finn, I don't hate you. I could never hate you. I don't need to forgive you because you did nothing wrong. If Cass was a demon who was just trying to use me, then he deserved what he got.”

Finn seemed almost shocked at my reaction toward hearing about what happened to Cass, but he didn't voice that shock. 

“How do I apparently have the blood of a healer, though? What is that?” I asked, once again putting the topic of Balor's soul on the back-burner.

“A healer is just like it's name suggests. You have the power to heal yourself, and if you train it correctly, you can use it to heal other people. It's an inherited trait,” Finn replied. “One of your parents must carry the blood, but I haven't checked which one. I'm not even sure that they're aware of it. They probably have no idea, just like you.”

“They've never mentioned anything about healers, and I've never seen either of them heal themselves as quickly as I have recently,” I admitted, absentmindedly turning my gaze to my hand. “If my power was supposed to be untapped, why is it all of a sudden kicking in?”

“It's because of Balor's influence.” 

At his words, I returned my stare to his face. Finn gave a small smile and continued with his explanation of how I obtained part of the Demon King's soul. 

“You have a piece of Balor's soul because I accidentally gave it to you. After I took care of Cass, I went back to you. Like I said before, I could tell by the scent of your blood that you were a healer, even if it was a very low level. I thought that if I passed along some of Balor's energy to you that it would help to unlock that power inside of you, and that your body would be able to heal itself. I had never tried to call on Balor's power for anyone but myself, so I had no idea what I was doing. I just knew that I didn't want you to die. After everything I'd seen you put up with by being with Cass after you moved here, I thought you deserved better than to die like that.

“I wasn't exactly sure how to go about transferring strength, so I placed my hand on your head and tried calling Balor, then forcing that energy into your body. Apparently I forced a little too hard, because I unknowingly pushed a small piece of Balor's soul into you. It seems to have done the trick, though. You're healing technique has been growing stronger and stronger.”

“So when you touched my head last night and the night before, what were you doing?” I asked him as I remembered the warm palm above my forehead.

“I was trying to pull Balor's soul back, but it appears that pulling it back is harder than pushing it through.” Finn turned his gaze down to the hands hanging off his knees then. He looked like he was done talking for the night, but I still had a million questions that I needed answers to. He wasn't getting off the hook that easily.

I took a deep breath to prepare myself to ask my next question. “Finn, where does Roman fall into all of this?”

Finn looked back up at me then. A red flame flashed over his irises, but was gone in an instant. The subject must not have been something he wanted to talk about, but I wasn't backing down. I needed to know what Roman had been planning.

“Roman isn't a rougarou, like Wyatt. He's a hellhound. He's in a pack with two other hellhounds, and they work for the demons trying to kill me. They actually call themselves 'The Hounds of Justice,' if you can believe that. They're all three supposed to be stationed here in this town, but I've not been able to find the other two. My guess is that Wyatt sent them off to gather more demons for the army, and Roman was told to stay here and make sure that Cass was doing his job to get you to Wyatt and the witch. Once I killed Cass, I had assumed that someone would be taking his place to deliver you. It wasn't until I met Roman at the bar that I realized what he was and that he was probably the one filling that position now. He was trying to win your trust so that you would go with him.”

My heart squeezed as I realized that was the one thing I didn't want Finn to say. I needed to hear it, however. I needed the truth from here on out. I was done being lied to by people I thought I could trust.

“I have one more question, Finn, then I promise I'm done for tonight.”

He smiled at me as he ran his hand through his hair and leaned back in the couch. “Anything, darlin'.”

“Why didn't you tell me all of this sooner? You could have told me last night when I was trying to figure out why the demons wanted me. You could have told me when we were at Raw outside, after you dug that guy's heart out. You could have told me any time, but you didn't tell me until I caught you in the light. If I would have done as you asked and not turned around to see you tonight, would you still be hiding this from me?”

“I know you'll probably find this hard to believe,” he started, once again sitting up to lean on his knees and meet my eyes, “but I didn't plan on getting you involved at first. I had planned on taking Balor's soul back the first time I saved you, then never letting you see me again. I knew that Wyatt would still want you, so I was going to stay close to keep him away, but I didn't intend for you to actually see me so many times. My original plan was to just get close enough to try to get Balor's missing piece back, then disappear.”

“If you intended to disappear after you got the part of his soul from me, then what about...” I trailed off as I moved my eyes to the floor, not having the ability to bring myself to mention what happened the past night.

“I said 'at first',” he assured me, flashing a bright smile in my direction. “After I tried pulling the soul back the second time, I knew it wasn't going to go that smoothly. I wasn't sure I wanted it to, either, after we got to know each other. I didn't want you to be afraid of me, so I didn't tell you what I was. I did let you know that I believed every word you told me, hoping that would make you be more careful if you knew that demons might exist. Obviously that idea backfired on me.”

“Obviously,” I echoed, once again grabbing my Pepsi from the table and finishing the can.

“I'm surprised you're not running away from me now, to be honest,” he said, leaning back in the couch again to get comfortable.

“If I thought you were going to hurt me, I would run,” I told him as I decided to lay across the couch, placing my head in his lap. I had a lot to take in tonight, but I needed sleep before I could really think about any of this stuff anymore. My mind was done processing information for the night. “But you've actually saved me more times than I realized, so if you were going to kill me, you would have already done it.”

“There's no way I could ever harm you, love,” he replied, stroking the hair out of my face.

My eyelids started drooping as I snuggled into Finn, letting him play with my hair. I barely remembered mumbling, “I owe you my life, Finn.”

A whisper came from above me as I drifted to sleep. “Fuck.”


	13. Chapter 13

_**Roman** _

He materialized out of thin air in front of his pack mates. Roman wasn't one to come crawling back with his tail between his legs, but he had no choice this time. Roman knew he wasn't going to be able to take on Balor by himself, especially with Aislin there. As much as he hated Balor, he didn't want to see the look on the girl's face when they were forced to fight. He'd grown to like her smile, much to his own surprise. The hurt expression she wore when he exposed what he truly was to her had split his heart in half without him expecting it.

“I know you aren't here to tell us that your plan worked,” Seth said, training his light brown eyes on Roman as he gave the taller man a cocky half-smile and waltzed across the small room to sit on one of the twin beds.

Seth had long, wavy, brown hair that hung to his muscular shoulders. His lightly tanned skin was being shown off as he sat cross-legged on the twin bed with only a pair of gym shorts on. His chin was covered by a thick, dark beard, and a mustache sat below his rounded nose.

They were in a small hotel room somewhere in California. The room had some God awful floral wallpaper and two twin beds against one wall. On the other wall was a chest-of-drawers with a small flat screen TV sitting on top. It didn't have a kitchen, but it did have a mini-fridge. This was where the Hounds of Justice had taken up residence while searching for a few demons who would be interested in joining forces with their boss against Balor.

“If his plan worked, he'd be with Wyatt to gloat, Seth,” Dean interrupted as he grabbed a bottle of water from the mini-fridge and started pacing the tiny room. Dean always seemed like he was on the verge of a mental breakdown, but it was almost worse at that moment.

Seth and Dean had been Roman's pack mates for as long as he could remember. The hellhounds were more like brothers to each other than just friends. The three men in the room were all that was left of their pack after Balor had taken the rest of them out. Balor's only reasoning for eliminating their families was the fact that they were growing in strength, and Balor wanted to retain the title of Demon King.

Before he was forced to start taking human bodies, Balor was the strongest demon in the world. Everyone with grievances against Balor wanted to take him out before he found a body that he could completely take over and release his full strength with. Everyone assumed Finn's body wasn't strong enough since they'd never seen him use all of Balor's strength before. The nerve wracking part, though, was the fact that Finn could still take out whoever stood in his path. He apparently didn't need Balor taking full control in order to remain strong enough to defeat powerful demons. This was why the demons wanted him gone.

“Wyatt isn't who he's going to have to deal with if he can't get the healer girl. That black eye will be like a walk in the park compared to...” Seth trailed off, losing all signs of humor from his voice. Roman knew what Seth was thinking, and he didn't want to have to tell _that man_ that he had failed.

Dean's shaggy, light brown hair fell in his dark blue eyes as he walked up to Roman, stopping dead in his tracks and turning his gaze to his friend.

“Okay,” he started as he ran a hand over the short stubble on his chin, “tell us what happened. I thought it was going to be three on one. How did it not work?”

Roman walked past Dean's scrutinizing gaze and sat down on the foot of the bed beside the one Seth had claimed. He leaned back on his elbows and gazed at the ceiling, thinking back to what went wrong.

“The plan was for me to get the healer outside. Braun and Luke were supposed to attack her to bring out Balor, but they were ordered not to kill her because we need her. Luke had her by the throat, but Balor was faster than I thought he'd be. I didn't even notice him sneaking up behind me and Braun.”

“So he took out Braun first?” Seth asked, leaning up to put his elbows on his knees.

“Right,” Roman answered as he sat back up and turned his attention to Seth first, then Dean, who'd taken up a position in the small arm chair in the corner of the room. “He beheaded Braun before I even had time to turn around.”

“Not that I'm complaining, but why didn't he kill you? You don't look like you're hurt at all, except for those few burn marks on your neck and hand,” Dean noticed before taking a sip of his water.

Roman reached a hand up to his neck, not remembering that the Demon King had released his flames on Roman's skin. If it weren't for Aislin, Balor would have probably killed him without a second thought.

“I don't know. He got so far as to put his hands around my throat, but then he just punched me in the gut and went back to the shadows.” Roman took a moment to think about why he actually let him survive. Finn must have known that Aislin wouldn't want to see Roman die out there. Roman and Finn both knew that even though Roman was betraying her, it would still upset her to see him dead.

“How did he get to Luke?” Seth wondered, apparently wanting the whole story.

“Luke got scared. He threatened to kill the healer if Balor came any closer. Balor didn't take kindly to that, so he killed Luke before I had time to recover from his punch. It's probably a good thing I didn't try to stop Balor, because Luke probably would have killed the healer if he got scared enough. If he'd have done that, he would have died anyway.”

“We have got to figure out why that healer is so important to Balor,” Dean said as he ran his hand through his hair, finally pushing it out of his sapphire eyes.

“I know why Finn is interested in her.” Roman's voice held hate. It was true that he hated Balor, but the anger he felt now had nothing to do with what Balor had done to his pack. “I don't know why Balor wanted her at first, but now I know that Finn wants to protect her because he loves her.”

Seth let out a barking laugh. “Balor doesn't love anyone.”

“Balor doesn't, but now that Finn says he's in love with her, it's going to be even harder to get her to join us,” Roman admitted as he ran his hands down his face. “When we thought it was only Balor who wanted her, it was a lot easier to come up with the plan to gain her trust and get her on our side. Now that Finn is in the picture and has tricked her into thinking he loves her, there's no way she'll willfully come with us.”

“This must be a part of his plan,” Seth said thoughtfully. “Balor decided to use our plan before we could. He got her to trust him and made us out to be the bad guys so that there was no way she'd help us.”

“She doesn't realize that Balor is the real bad guy here, does she?” Dean asked, shaking his head in disbelief.

“No, she doesn't. She's mesmerized by the fact that he saved her a few times. She doesn't realize that he's got to have some other plan for her, and that's why he protected her. Balor has to have a reason for needing her.” Roman answered, thinking back to how Aislin was always speaking of the Demon King with such admiration in her blue-green eyes.

“I'm starting to think that he doesn't just want her so we can't use her.” Seth laid his back against the bed and looked up to the ceiling as he spoke. “If he was just wanting to keep her away from us, he would have let Luke kill her instead of killing him first; or he would kill her himself. He doesn't need her healing powers because they aren't strong enough to help him.”

“Wait,” Roman started, suddenly remembering something. “Her powers have been awakened.”

“I thought they were too weak to do anything with right now? That's why we needed to get her to Abigail so she could wake them up and make her useful.” Dean seemed surprised by Roman's words.

“They started kicking in a week after she started working with me. Her healing isn't very fast, but her body has started healing all of her cuts on its own.” Roman explained as he tried to figure out why that had started happening. He had been trying to think of a reason for that when she first showed him that her hand was healing.

“A week after she met you...” Dean mused, more to himself than anything.

“That's when Balor killed Cass, wasn't it? When that idiot caused the car wreck?” Seth realized as his eyes lit up with an idea. “Balor must have done something to her then. He was obviously there, and you said that we were lucky she survived the wreck. What if Balor somehow caused her healing powers to start working then?”

“Aislin told me that Paul said she had something that belonged to Balor. If that idiot hadn't tried to work on his own and take her by force, he might still be here to tell us what it is that she has,” Roman realized, mentally cursing the giant for trying to take matters into his own hands without talking to anyone else.

“Did Kevin tell her anything? He's the first one who tried to take her by force against the boss's wishes, wasn't he?” Dean asked, hoping for some other clue.

“No. As far as I know, he didn't even get the chance to speak before Balor killed him,” Roman replied as he stood up to retrieve his own bottle of water from the fridge.

“He didn't. Kevin got as far as grabbing the girl and dragging her to the trees before Balor got there. She was putting up quite a fight,” Seth almost laughed as the image replayed in his mind.

“Aislin probably could have fought that moron off by herself.” Roman rolled his eyes as he took a drink of water.

“So she has something that belongs to Balor, and she must have only gotten it recently.” Seth was mentally taking notes on everything being said, trying to figure out what the healer could have gained. “I've never heard of Balor having any special weapon or anything that would unlock hidden powers, though. The only thing we know of that he had was the dagger, and Wyatt has it now.”

“Ya know what I think?” Dean cut in as he stood up and once again started pacing.

“What?” Roman and Seth asked at the same time.

Dean started talking as he kept his eyes on the floor and continued his back and forth motions. “I think that maybe the guy tried to heal her with Balor's power, but he accidentally gave her too much. So now he's not got Balor's full strength. So that's what she has that belongs to him—the rest of his power.”

“Dean,” Seth started, sitting back up to stare at his friend, “that is ridiculous. Balor is a demon of destruction. He can't unlock healing powers.”

“Seth is right, Dean,” Roman added, as he sat back down and turned his eyes to Dean. “There's no way Balor could give his energy to someone else. He's a demon of destruction, anyway. He wouldn't let Finn use his strength to heal a girl.”

“Well, it was a thought.” Dean shrugged his shoulders and returned to his seat.

“We just need to figure out a new way to get her here now that she doesn't trust Roman,” Seth said as he laid back on the bed again and sighed deeply.

Roman turned his attention to his burned hand, attempting to think of anyway to get Aislin to help them. “I don't think she'll trust anyone anymore. I'm sure Balor has told her about what he is. There's no way he could get out of that with as stubborn as she is.” A slight smile passed across Roman's features when he thought about her, but it disappeared just as quickly as it formed. “He's probably told her about what we are, too. He's not going to let her out of his sight now.”

“Maybe we should see what Wyatt says about it before we make any plans.” Dean spoke while still pacing, a habit he had that aggravated his pack mates.

“That's probably our best plan of action right now,” Seth agreed, in an almost defeated tone.

Roman sighed deeply as he placed his water on the table between the beds, then said,“I just dread having to tell him that our plan has been ruined again. He was mad when Cass messed it up, so he'll be furious that it's been messed up a second time. Especially since it's probably my fault. If I had sped things up, Balor wouldn't have had time to interfere as much as he did.”

“You might be able to catch her without Balor, Roman,” Seth said as he once again sat up to look into Roman's dark drown eyes. “You could try to explain to her that Balor isn't this great person who she obviously believes he is. Tell her about how he killed our families—about how he killed plenty of innocent people. You were her best friend, right? Maybe you can still win her over.”

“It's worth a shot,” Dean added. “If you can catch her away from Balor, anyway.”

“That'll probably be the hard part.”


	14. Chapter 14

_**Finn** _

Finn couldn't be in the room anymore with Aislin. He needed to calm the demon inside of him, and he wasn't going to do that by having her warm body so close. She had slipped up. His heart sank when he heard the words slide past her lips, but an evil laugh sounded in his head at the same time. Finn didn't think she would ever utter that phrase after he told her that he would have to collect the debt eventually. He doubted if Aislin even meant to whisper those words, but she had. Finn knew that there was no way Balor would let either of them out of this life debt, even if his control over the demon was almost perfect. Aislin dying would be the only way Balor could be whole again if Finn couldn't figure out how to get that soul out of her, so Balor had plenty of reason to want the girl dead already, thanks to that alone. He knew that Balor would do everything in his power to get Finn distracted long enough to take control now.

_You know me so well, boy._

Finn closed his eyes and shook his head, trying to remove Balor's rough voice from his thoughts. Normally, he could block the demon out completely. Every now and then, he'd slip up when he was too distracted, but it usually only took a few seconds to regain his focus and block out the demon once more. The worst he'd ever slipped up around Aislin, before she knew what he was, was when he tried to retrieve her piece of Balor in the bedroom. Luckily, she didn't notice; or if she did, she didn't say anything. The soul that shared his body was getting restless at the thought of taking the girl's life, though, so he was slowly becoming harder and harder to ignore. 

Lifting Aislin's sleeping body, he easily carried her into her bedroom and laid her in the bed. He leaned down to push the brown hair from her face, then gave her a gentle kiss on the cheek, regretting the fact that he would have to leave her for a while. He wanted to stay close so that he could protect her, but he needed to be able to protect her from Balor and himself first. He needed to have a heart to heart with the Demon King, but not here—not with Aislin so close.

Finn walked back into the living room and, in a cloud of smoke, he vanished into thin air.

 

_**Aislin** _

_I once again found myself lying on my back on the dirt covered ground. The darkness that surrounded me was an empty void this time. No twinkling demon eyes loomed over my head, and no sharp teeth came down to devour me. There was nothing but silence as I tried to get to a sitting position, feeling too vulnerable while lying there._

_I got to my knees and looked around, still seeing nothing but darkness around me. Without seeing a face, I suddenly heard a deep growl from the shadows. There was no higher-pitched tone to go along with it, like there was when I had heard it before, so the sound made me uneasy._

_“I told you to give it back,” the gravely voice spoke to me, also wielding an Irish accent._

_I spun my head around to search the shadows, attempting to find the eyes behind the voice. Instead, I saw nothing. It was still total darkness._

_The voice continued to growl as it spoke. “If you'd have given it back, we wouldn't be in this situation. If the human man dies, it's your fault.”_

_“Finn is still strong,” I called out to the Demon King who was hidden in the shadows, assuming that he was talking about the part of his soul in my body. “He can still take care of himself.”_

_“Not against an army,” he called back, his voice growing frustrated._

_“Then go back to him when he tries to pull you back,” I ordered, trying not to fear this smaller piece of Balor in my head._

_“You keep holding me here!” He yelled out, his fury a palpable force in the air._

_“I'm not holding anything!” I argued as I slammed my fists down into the dirt at my knees, unable to figure out what he was talking about._

_“We'll fix this problem soon. I'll see to it. You owe me, remember?”_

 

The threat woke me from my slumber. 

I knew I wasn't going to sleep peacefully after the night I had, but the dream that came to me had my mind spinning. I was sure it was just my imagination, but that voice seemed so real, almost as if the piece of Balor's soul inside me was trying to speak to me; but that was ridiculous, I thought to myself as a memory came to my mind. I knew for sure that I hadn't actually spoken the words out loud last night, but the dream Balor telling me that I owed him made my skin crawl. 

Taking a moment to gather my thoughts, I turned my mind to everything I had learned. All the secrets were finally out—at least I hoped so—and I was slowly starting to take everything in. Demons and monsters were real, and I had been placed in the middle of a tug-of-war game with them all because I had some kind of healing power.

As I turned in my bed, I realized I had been left alone. Finn must have carried me in here after I went to sleep on his lap, I thought. I sat up to search the room, disappointment filling my heart as I looked for any sign of Finn. The only proof that he had even been with me before was the fact that I was still dressed in his black leather jacket. I pulled the collar of the jacket around my face and took in the warm scent again as I found myself wishing he was with me. The man had called me the woman he had come to love, but I was too shocked by everything else to say anything about that then. Thinking of his voice speaking those words now sent my heartbeat into funny rhythms. What I wouldn't give to wake up with him again, just like the previous morning. I felt like I deserved a re-do of that, since Roman had ruined it.

Roman's glowing brown eyes flashed in my mind as I remembered what he actually was. A hellhound who wanted to kill Balor. I wasn't sure where he ran off to when he disappeared from my sight, but I found myself hoping he was okay. As much as it hurt when I realized he had been lying to me, I couldn't bring myself to believe that he was some evil demon who was only acting the whole time. I knew our friendship had been real, and it had meant something to him. If it had all been an act, he wouldn't have looked so distraught before he had vanished.

Standing up out of the bed, I noticed that I also still had my jeans and shoes on. I slipped my shoes off and searched for clean clothes to change into, laying Finn's coat on my bed as I undressed. After pulling on a black, long sleeved shirt and another pair of jeans, I decided that I needed my morning sugar rush. 

As I opened the door to my bedroom, I heard a soft voice talking in the living room. Happiness stirred in my stomach as I realized Finn hadn't left after all. I wasn't sure who he could have been talking to, though.

“No. Not a chance,” I heard him whisper with a sigh as I rounded the corner to see him.

“Good morning,” I told him, causing him to snap his head up to look at me.

He was sitting in the middle of the couch, his phone in his hands as he flashed me a brilliant smile. His shining blue eyes looked well rested, and he was wearing a clean black t-shirt that had white writing on the front and a pair of dark jeans. He must have gone back to his hotel at some point last night to clean up, my mind mused.

“Good morning, Aislin. How did you sleep?” he asked me as he placed the phone down beside of him on the couch.

I had figured he'd been talking to someone on the phone, but there wasn't anyone on the other end anymore as he ignored it, instead focusing his attention on me.

I made an “eh” noise at his question, not really sure how else I should answer it. I didn't want to tell Finn about my nightmare because he had entirely too much on his mind already. If I had an army of demons trying to kill me, I wouldn't want to hear about some girl's silly nightmare.

“Just eh?” He repeated my sound as he stood up from the couch, following me to the kitchen where I was headed to get my caffeine. 

“Yeah, it wasn't very restful, but I did sleep,” I told him as I returned his smile, then retrieved my Pepsi from the fridge.

I sat down at the kitchen table and watched as Finn took the seat opposite of me. 

“Do you want one?” I asked him, gesturing to the can in my hand.

“No, thank you,” he replied, once again smiling. He was watching me tentatively, like he was expecting me to say something.

“What?” I asked him, suddenly feeling very self-conscious with the way he was staring at me.

“Are you okay?” he asked, the double meaning in his question clear.

“I'm okay,” I answered him after taking a sip of my soda and considering my words carefully. “I'm not going to freak out over the demons and monsters—I've already done that. I also feel physically fine.”

He seemed content with that answer, so he dropped the subject, letting silence fall over us. 

“How exactly does the demon work?” I blurted out, seemingly taking him off guard.

“Balor? I explained everything about him last night,” he said as his brows furrowed in thought, probably trying to figure out what it was that he forgot to tell me.

“I mean,” I started, taking a breath before deciding how I wanted to word this, “what does sharing your body mean? Can he see everything you see? Can he talk to you? You said he didn't control you, but can he talk you into doing things?”

Finn gave a small “ah” sound and his face relaxed as he realized what I meant. 

“He can only see what I want him to see, and he can only speak to me when I let him. Most of the time, I've got him locked down,” he explained with a slight smile. “Don't worry, you don't have enough of him sharing your body for it to effect you. You shouldn't even feel him there.”

His words made me feel a little more relaxed about my nightmare. 

“I know it's still early for you,” he said as he took on a focused look, “but I was actually wanting to ask you if I could try something.”

My curiosity was instantly interested at his words. “What did you want to try?” 

“I was wanting to try to get Balor back from you now that you know what I'll be doing.” 

I didn't even have to think about my answer. I was willing to do anything to help Finn regain his full strength so that he wouldn't be killed by other demons ganging up on him. I also selfishly thought that removing the demon would stop the dreams.

“What do I need to do?” I asked him as I stood up, a determined look on my face. I was ready to do whatever it took to help him.

He let out a small laugh as he stood up and gestured for me to follow him to the couch. As we walked the short distance into the living room, he said, “You don't have to do anything except let me in long enough to pull Balor out.”

“How do I let you in?” I questioned as I sat down in the middle of my large couch, still feeling the determination to make this work for him.

Taking the seat beside me, he leaned close to me and answered, “Just clear your mind. You had a lot on your mind the first two times I tried to get it back, I'm sure. You were confused and terrified, so that interfered.”

Finn brought his right hand up and placed it on the back of my head, entwining his fingers in my hair. His touch made goosebumps rise on my skin, but I took a deep, steadying breath. I couldn't get distracted, I thought to myself. He closed his eyes and took his own deep breath, readying himself to retrieve the demon from inside of me.

“Let me know if I pull too hard,” he whispered, his crystal clear eyes sharp and focused. “If you feel like you're going to pass out, say so. I don't want to take what isn't mine.”

I gave Finn a slight nod of my head, then waited on the heat. In an instant, Finn's hand grew warm at the back of my head. I closed my eyes, trying my hardest to concentrate on letting him in.

“Still with me?” he once again whispered, his worried voice sounding a little too deep.

I opened my eyes to assure him that I was fine, but I gasped instead. His eyes had turned blood red, something that I wasn't used to seeing on Finn's features yet. The red eyes belonged to the shadows, not in my living room in broad daylight. While I knew that it was still Finn, I also knew that it was Balor. When I thought of that demon, my mind went to the threat in my dream.

Immediately, the warmth stopped and Finn backed up, his eyes once again fading back to the light blue that I was used to as concern crossed his face. “Are you okay?”

“I'm okay, I just wasn't...” I trailed off, not sure of what I could say that wouldn't upset him.

“You weren't expecting the eyes to change?” A knowing smile crossed his lips.

“Right,” I replied quietly, moving my gaze downward.

“It's okay, darlin',” Finn tried to reassure me, keeping his hands off me. “He's not in control. I am.”

I turned my eyes back to Finn as I gave another small nod, signaling him to try again. After he replaced his hand in my hair, it started warming up once more. I forced my eyes to stay open as I watched Finn's irises slowly turn from light blue to glowing red. I tried to clear my mind of everything, but I couldn't feel any kind of pull. 

A moment later, Finn's other hand had joined the first one in my hair, and his eyes started shining brighter as the heat got warmer. I suddenly started to feel my energy draining, just as I had the second time he had tried this at the back of Raw. I had to fight to keep my eyes from closing on their own because I didn't want Finn to stop again unless he absolutely had to. 

The look on his face was frustration as the energy left my body quicker and quicker. I heard a deep growl come from Finn's chest as his hands started trembling at my skull. My head started feeling too light as the pull continued to grow harder. Against my will, I let my eyelids slip down. The last thing I had seen in my fuzzy field of vision was a face that looked like Finn's, but it also looked different.

I tried more than once to say Finn's name, hoping to get his attention, but no sound would come out of my mouth at all. I wanted my hand to move to his arm, but I couldn't force the motion. I felt myself starting to slip out of consciousness, but I resisted the urge to let myself go. Finn had never tried this hard to get Balor back, and I wasn't sure my body would take much more. I felt myself slowly slouching down into the couch as Finn's hands held me up.

Suddenly, a burst of energy entered my body as Finn's fingers slid away from me almost hesitantly. I snapped my eyes open to see Finn standing up off the couch, his own eyes closed and his head shaking back and forth as he turned his back to me. It almost sounded like he was mumbling to himself, but my head was still fogged up from the amount of energy he had taken in his attempt to get Balor's soul. The last time, after I had gotten light headed, the energy that returned to me was enough to make me feel rejuvenated. This time, it seemed as though I had only gotten back half of what he had taken. Maybe this was a good sign, I thought to myself. Maybe the weak feeling was because of Balor leaving me.

Finn finally stopped moving and started taking deep breaths, just as I had seen him do when he let go of the Demon King in the parking lot the night before. Once he was calm again, he turned back to face me. 

“I'm sorry, love. I didn't mean to take that much. I wasn't trying to take your soul, only Balor's.” Finn's eyes were searching my face as he knelt down in front of me, his voice almost panicked.

“Did it work?” I asked him, not sure if I should feel different or not. The only thing I felt at that moment was tired.

Finn shook his head. “I'm afraid not. We may need a little help.”

He stood up and retrieved his phone from the other end of the couch where he'd left it earlier. After dialing a number, he placed it to his ear and waited a total of three seconds before speaking.

“I'm going to need your help, Shinsuke.”


	15. Chapter 15

Not two seconds after Finn spoke the words, a man materialized in a bright light that appeared in my living room, holding a phone up to his ear.

I let out a squeak of surprise as I jumped back in the couch, eyeing the tall man who stood in front of me. The newcomer had dark tanned skin which stood out against the red pants and red t-shirt he was wearing. He stood a few inches taller than Finn, and a whole foot taller than I was. His head was shaved on both sides, but he had a shoulder-length tuft of wavy black hair coming from the top of his head, falling down to cover half of his face. His dark brown eyes crinkled as he smiled in my direction, pulling the phone from his ear.

“Shinsuke Nakamura, at your service,” he said slowly as he made a show of bowing, holding one outstretched arm in the air beside of him while the hand with the phone was placed at his stomach.

I was speechless. A nervous giggle bubbled up in my throat, escaping only after I noticed Finn smiling at my reaction in amusement.

“Shinsuke, this is Aislin,” Finn said, gesturing to me as Shinsuke stood up and looked me over. “Aislin, this is Shinsuke. He's a shinigami.”

At the word, my giggles stopped. “That's like, a Japanese grim reaper, isn't it?” My stomach started knotting up with anxiety. Grim reapers were supposed to take souls to the afterlife, not help them change bodies.

“Not exactly,” Shinsuke answered my question, his slow voice holding a strong accent that led me to believe English wasn't his first language. “Grim reapers are demons who take souls to afterlife, or kill humans for souls to make themselves stronger. I am a shinigami—a god of death. I can do what I want with a soul.”

“Shinsuke can lead a soul wherever it needs to go.” Finn spared me an assuring smile and my nerves began to unravel. “He's been a very good friend of mine for a long time. I've told him about everything going on, and I trust him with my life. He'll help us if he can.”

That was good to hear, I thought; especially since the first two times I trusted demons, it had almost gotten me killed.

“This is the girl with Balor, yes?” the shinigami asked as he turned a pointed finger at me and faced Finn, his movements very over-exaggerated.

“Yes, it is. We need to get him out of there, and I was hoping you could help,” Finn answered him as he finally put his phone away in the back pocket of his jeans.

“I feel him in there,” Shinsuke whispered as he bent over and leaned in entirely too close to my face. “May I?” he asked, moving his hand to hover over my forehead after placing his own phone on the small table beside the couch.

“Sure,” I replied, thinking that he was going to try to tug Balor's soul from me the same way Finn had been trying to. I wasn't sure if my tired body could handle a second round of having my soul pulled on, but I was willing to give it a try.

Shinsuke's cool palm stayed on my skin for less than a minute before he removed it and straightened back up, once again turning to Finn. I had felt nothing, not even a slight warming of his touch to mirror Finn's.

“Hm...” he almost sang the sound as he placed his hand over his face and shook his head, turning his back to me to look at Finn.

“What did you feel?” Finn asked him, taking a step closer to me and the shinigami.

“Not good,” Shinsuke answered, removing his hand from his face and turning his dark gaze between me and Finn. “The soul is tiny, but big enough to cause... problems.”

“What kind of problems?” I asked the god of death as my heart rate sped up. “Problems” wasn't the word I was wanting to hear, and my anxiety was starting to rise again.

“Finn, has Balor been harder to control?” Shinsuke asked, completely ignoring my own question.

Finn hesitated, taking a deep breath and turning his gaze to the floor.

“A little bit, yeah,” he admitted in a whisper as he licked his lips.

“Do you know why?” Shinsuke questioned him as he crossed his arms over his broad chest.

“I have an idea.” Finn kept his eyes on the floor, which sent an uneasy feeling into my gut.

“I know for sure why,” Shinsuke said as he once again stared at me, but pointed a slender finger in Finn's direction.“Your Balor can feel the piece of himself in the girl, so he is constantly trying to pull it back. Balor is releasing more energy than normal to make himself whole again while you are around her. Can you both feel a connection to each other? Like... something drawing you to each other?”

Finn and I exchanged glances as I waited for him to speak first. “Yeah, I've had that feeling since the day I first saw her when I started following the ogre, but it's gotten stronger since I saved her in the wreck.”

His words tugged at my heart, but I just nodded in agreement. In truth, I had felt a connection with Finn since the first time I spoke with him in the bar three days ago. That feeling was the reason I stayed and talked to him the second night, spilling my guts about my personal life even though I had only known him for a short time. It was the reason I let him stay with me after being attacked. It was the reason I didn't even question myself that same night when his touch had sent me into a frenzy. I didn't want to believe that all of my feelings were just because of some evil demon trying to get his soul back. In truth, I had come to love Finn, even if I hadn't actually told him that yet.

“Finn, sit.” Shinsuke grandly gestured to the spot beside me on the couch, ordering Finn to sit down as my mind remembered where we were and what we were doing.

Finn followed his directions and sat down close enough for his knee to touch mine. I moved my glance between him and Shinsuke, hoping to figure out what was going on. Finn's face focused clearly on Shinsuke, though, as he waited for the god to explain.

Shinsuke once again leaned down in front of me and smiled, this time placing one hand on my forehead and the other hand on Finn's. “I'm going to try to move it now. I am... unsure of how Finn was doing it, but you should not hurt. You should not feel anything.”

That, at least, had settled my nerves a bit. I let out a breath as I waited for Shinsuke to start his attempt at moving the soul. Slowly, almost unsure of himself, Finn took my hand that was laying on my lap in his grasp. I turned my eyes to sneak a peek at him, and noticed him smiling in my direction. He seemed to be doing his best to make me feel better about everything, but the hair on my arms was still standing on end because of Shinsuke's earlier mention of problems.

Keeping my eyes focused on Finn, I started to feel a tingling sensation in my heart. I realized that Finn's eyes were very gradually starting to turn the demon red color, and my pulse picked up again. I almost felt like Finn could tell I was uneasy, because he squeezed my hand gently in an attempt to calm me down.

Suddenly, sharp pain erupted in my whole body as Finn's demon eyes shone bright in my vision, his face contorting into a tortured expression. I heard myself release a terror-filled scream as the pain became numbing, but it almost seemed as though I wasn't the one screaming. Instead, I felt more like a viewer, only seeing things from the outside as the sensations in my body slowly vanished from me.

Finn released my hand, stood up, and pushed Shinsuke away from me. He then turned his back on both of us, breathing in deeply for control. When Shinsuke's hand lost contact with my skin, I felt as though I were pushed back into my body. The pain came flooding back as I curled in on myself, collapsing onto my side on the couch cushions. After a moment of trying to will the pain to stop, it became a dull, throbbing sensation instead of the sharp, stinging one it had been. No one spoke until Finn turned around.

He was crouched down in the floor in front of me in less time than it took me to process his movements. His warm hand was at my face, wiping away tears that I hadn't realized were sliding across my cheeks. I could hear him whispering questions to me, asking if I was okay, but I couldn't make words form on my tongue. Even though I felt like I was back in my body, I still couldn't make it work the way I wanted to. The only thing I could do was watch Finn's movements, hoping that I regained my own soon. I imagined that was what it felt like to be completely paralyzed.

Finn, hand still on my cheek, looked up to Shinsuke. “What happened? I thought she wasn't supposed to feel anything!”

“She should not have,” Shinsuke answered, adjusting his shirt as he once again straightened his back to stand up. “Like I said... problems.”

“What kind of problems?” Finn asked, turning his blue eyes back to me.

“In a way, the healer girl is trying to heal her soul with Balor's soul,” Shinsuke started explaining, moving his hands as he spoke. At Finn's confused expression, Shinsuke continued. “So... her soul was already leaving her body when she died in car crash. When you tried to save her, her healer blood took Balor in an attempt to heal her own broken soul.” He stopped, searching for his next words as he once again placed his hand on his face. “She is unknowingly trying to fuse them together. I took Balor and her soul came, too. That's why she felt it. It's going back in now, but will take a moment.”

I heard his words, but I couldn't force an emotion to show on my body. Except for the still throbbing pain, I felt nothing. Finn, however, showed enough emotion for the both of us. I had never seen fear on Finn, but I was guessing that the flash of emotions he showed then was as close to fear as anything else.

“You're telling me,” he started as he stood up to look Shinsuke in the eyes, “that her soul is trying to make Balor a part of it? That's why I can't pull it back out without pulling hers as well?”

“Exactly.” Shinsuke replied, moving his hand down from his face and pointing it at me precisely. “It is not coming out of that one until her soul lets go.”

“And what does she have to do to let go?” Finn questioned as he took a knee in front of me again, pushing the hair out of my face as I moved my eyes in his direction.

“Easy,” Shinsuke said as he raised both hands up, almost in a shrug. “Her soul must leave. She has to die.”


	16. Chapter 16

_See, boy, we need her dead. She owes us this much, remember?_

 

A growl sounded from deep inside Finn's chest as his eyes flashed red. He stood up to face Shinsuke, standing toe to toe with the taller man. “Neither of you are going to hurt her.” 

I was finally able to feel emotions again as I watched Finn stare down the man he'd just called his friend. Fear started raising goosebumps on the surface of my skin as I noticed Finn's arms start to get darker. The realization that he was talking to Shinsuke _and_ Balor in his growled words sent panic into my heart as I managed to sit up on the couch.

“Finn, friend,” Shinsuke started saying as he put both hands up defensively in front of him and smiled while slowly backing up, “I will not hurt her. Only stating facts. Breathe. Calm. Control.”

Shinsuke's words became broken as he concentrated less and less on speaking and more on trying to get Finn back in control of himself.

“Finn,” I managed to whisper his name, my throat feeling like sandpaper. “Finn, stop. I'm okay.”

“And that's the problem,” a very low, bone chilling accent came from Finn's mouth as he turned in my direction. “You need to die. You owe me your life, and I'm going to take it. I need my soul back!”

His words left me shocked as tears once again threatened to fall from my eyes. Apparently, I had, in fact, told him that I owed him last night. His previous words came to mind. He'd have to kill me, no matter what. It was my fault this was happening, and guilt sprang up in my heart as I watched Finn bare his jagged teeth in my direction.

Finn's skin had fully taken on the black and red patters of Balor in front of my eyes. His fingertips held claws as he kept his hands down, tensed beside of him. His light voice had left completely, leaving only the voice from my nightmares. I was shaking as I stared into those fiery eyes, thinking that this must be Balor taking control of Finn to collect on the debt. 

In an instant, Balor sprang forward and placed his claws around my neck, cutting off all the air flowing to my lungs. I could tell by his shaking hands that Finn was still in there, trying to fight off the demon; but the evil soul was winning as his grip tightened, the claws causing a stinging pain to erupt in my skin. I closed my eyes, not wanting to look into the face of the man attempting to kill me. It wasn't Finn, and if I was going to die here, I didn't want that demon face to be the last thing I remembered. Thankfully, Shinsuke grabbed him from behind on the shoulders, pulling the hands from my throat. 

“Can't let you kill her,” he said, almost with a grin, as he gripped tighter onto Balor's shoulders, forcing him to his knees.

Balor released a gravely yell as Shinsuke's hands started glowing with a silver light on his shoulders. Slowly, Finn started returning to himself. His skin gradually lost the red and black markings, and his teeth and claws retracted to their normal shapes. He closed his eyes, opening them a moment later to reveal the ocean blue ones once more. The look on Finn's face was pure anger as he slammed a fist into the ground, growling curses at himself after turning his head down to the floor.

“You would hate me if I let you kill her,” Shinsuke told Finn as he released his shoulders and came around to face him. “I can't kill Balor's soul, so, I just pushed him down. He will be easier to ignore for a while. Until my power wears off.”

“How long will it last?” I asked Shinsuke as I wiped my eyes with the back of my hand, trying to make my voice not shake. I knew that wasn't Finn, but the fear hadn't subsided just yet and I couldn't look at the man on his knees anymore.

“Depends. Mostly on how hard Balor pushes back. Probably not longer than a day.” Shinsuke's dark eyes crinkled as he smiled at me. “I will come back to push him down again if you need me to. I don't want Finn to hate himself for killing you.”

“Thank you,” Finn whispered to his friend as his pale eyes came up to stare behind Shinsuke, looking at me apologetically. As his sights landed on my neck, he grimaced and turned his gaze back to the floor.

“Finn,” Shinsuke started as he looked down to Finn, catching his attention, “The army is growing. We need to get Balor whole again soon so you can fight.”

Finn stood up from the floor and crossed his arms on his chest, his gaze staying on Shinsuke as he let out a long sigh. He obviously didn't want to talk anymore about what had just happened, and I couldn't say I blamed him. He must not have wanted to think about the fact that he'd let Balor take control and almost killed me. If it weren't for Shinsuke, I'd be dead. I wasn't about to voice that fact, though. I marked that off as a lesson learned.

Finally, Finn spoke. “I know. I found the shapeshifters in Kentucky last night while I was trying to clear my head, and it seemed like they were all joining Wyatt. I thought to go check them out when Aislin told me that her co-worker said she'd seen me go out the back door of the bar. One of them was there that night and he led her outside by taking my form.”

Confusion washed over me as I tried to think of when Finn had enough time to go all the way to Kentucky during the night. Depending on which part of the state he went to, that was at least a two hour drive, just one way; but then I remembered how Roman and Shinsuke both apparently had the power to teleport wherever they wanted to go, so I assumed Finn could do that trick, too. That was the only explanation my mind could conjure up.

“They don't know what they're doing with that dagger,” Finn said, the seriousness in his tone taking my imagination away from him teleporting. “It won't kill Balor like they think it will. It will only release his soul and kill me. I need to be able to fight at full strength.”

“If Balor's soul is broken, the blade might actually kill him this time. Or,” Shinsuke held out the word as he shut his eyes, attempting to find the next ones he wanted to use, “If they kill you, Balor's soul will reunite.”

“Shinsuke, you've already said that, and they aren't going to kill her. I won't let anything hurt her,” Finn spat back. “Not even myself.”

“Not her. Either of you. If Finn is killed, and the blade doesn't kill the weakened demon soul, Balor might rejoin with the rest of his soul,” Shinsuke pointed his long finger at me as he snapped his eyes open in my direction, “inside of her.”

“Then I definitely can't die.” It seemed like an easy solution the way Finn said it, but I found myself hoping that his confidence was well deserved.

I had seen how strong Finn was, but that was only against a handful of demons. Against more powerful ones, Finn might not have a fighting chance. I didn't want him to die, and I didn't want Balor's whole soul inside of me, either. The thought of having to put up with that sinister voice inside of my head all the time, not only just in my dreams, was enough to make me want to vomit. I knew I wasn't strong enough to control such a demon, so I needed to get strong enough to help Finn instead.

“Good plan,” Shinsuke smiled at Finn again as he nodded his head. “If he goes to her body, there's no telling what will happen. Your soul is separate from Balor's. Hers will still try to fuse with it. It might make him easier to destroy, being tied to her mortal soul; but it might make him invincible. Balor with healer blood could be a problem.”

More problems, I thought as I leaned back into the couch and brought my feet under me. I turned my head to gaze up at the ceiling as I thought about how much trouble I had cause Finn. If he had just left me to die, he would be able to fight at full strength. He wouldn't have to worry about the demons he would be fighting trying to use me, and he wouldn't have to rely on Shinsuke to help him control Balor. 

At that moment, I decided that I needed to make an attempt to control the healing powers I had. I needed to be able to help Finn if he got hurt. If I was going to be a part of this whole war, I needed to be of use to Finn instead of being a hindrance. I wasn't sure how I was going to do any of that, but I was determined to try.

“For now, I will ask around about pulling apart souls. No need to let this information spread, so, I won't say who I'm talking about,” Shinsuke's slow voice said as he turned from Finn to me. He made a grand bow again, then turned his face to mine. “It's been nice meeting you, Aislin. I hope to see you again. Call me if Finn needs help.”

I smiled at the shinigami as he retrieved his phone from the small table and straightened his back to stand up. He turned to Finn and the two men nodded at each other, then Shinsuke disappeared in a blinding light, leaving me and Finn alone. 

The silence stretched on as Finn stood in front of me, avoiding all eye contact. He looked like he was trying to form words, but he never spoke.

After I was sure my voice wouldn't fail me, I finally decided on what I wanted to say. “Finn, I'm sorry.” 

“You have nothing to apologize for,” Finn replied as he came to sit down beside me on the couch, careful not to make contact with me as he finally looked into my eyes. “I'm the one who should be apologizing. I let Balor have too much control, and I hurt you.”

I watched as his gaze slid to my neck, a frown forming on his face as he took in the damage. I couldn't see it, but I was sure that his nails had drawn blood. He reached his hand out to my neck, but I flinched away before he could touch me. Even though my mind knew he wouldn't hurt me, the motion was an automatic response of my body not wanting to get hurt again.

Finn let out a small sigh and moved his hand back down to his knee.

“I should have had more control than that,” he whispered as he stared at his hands.

“But this is my fault. If I'd have just died—” Finn cut me off, quickly moving his shining eyes back to mine.

“No. Don't even say that, love. If you'd have died, I would still have a whole group of demons after me. I would still have Balor inside of me, fighting for control. The only thing that would be different is that I wouldn't have this one bright part in my life. I wouldn't have the first bit of hope I've felt in almost a hundred years. There is nothing good that could have come from me letting you die.”

I felt my eyes start stinging as the back of my throat started burning. His words had threatened to bring tears to my eyes because they made my heart happy. I needed to hear that I wasn't just a problem.

“I'm going to figure out how to help you,” I told Finn as I fought back the tears, not wanting to start crying again.

“You help me enough by giving me something worth fighting for.” Finn seemed as though he was going to lean closer to me then, but caught himself and changed his mind at the last minute. Instead, he only flashed a small smile in my direction.

“I think I need to go take a shower,” I told him as I stood up, wanting to get the blood off of my neck. I had also come up with a plan, but I couldn't try it out in front of Finn. I was sure he'd disapprove of it immediately.

“While you do that, I'm going to step outside for some fresh air,” he replied as he stood beside me. It almost felt like he wanted to say more, but he decided against it.

I watched as he stepped out into the chill of mid-day October, then made my own way to the small bathroom. Once I was inside, I shut the door and caught my reflection in the mirror.

The last time a demon had gotten me by the neck, he'd left scratches and a trail of blood. The skin had already healed by the time Finn and I had gotten home that night. This time, however, there were cuts, blood, and dark bruises already forming where Finn's fingers had been. No wonder Finn couldn't bring himself to look at it the first time, I thought to myself as I studied the injury in the mirror. 

I realized that the blood had stopped flowing, but the skin hadn't completely grown back together yet. I thought back to the feeling of my soul being pulled from my body, and I concentrated on where that pull had started from. I decided that if I could find where the power was coming from inside of me, I could speed up the healing process. Focusing my attention to the cuts, I imagined them completely closing, trying to force my will on my body. Slowly, I realized that it was working. The wounds were closing and the bruises were fading before my eyes. 

I had found it, I thought, feeling proud of myself. It wasn't as fast as I wanted it to be, but it was healing faster than what it would have if I hadn't been trying this and just left it alone. After a few minutes, my neck was completely clear except for the remaining small trails of blood. Feeling proud of myself, I stripped down and started a warm shower.

After getting myself cleaned off, I wrapped my towel around me and stepped out of the shower. As I ran a brush through my long, wet hair, I looked in the mirror at my neck once more. I was still feeling proud of myself for healing the injury in such a short time, and I wanted to try to use the power again. I needed to get better at it if I was going to help anyone, I thought. 

_I'm not going to help you heal yourself. I need you dead._

The low sound shocked me as I realized it had come from my own head. 

In my mind, I replied to the demon. “I don't need your help. I have my own strength.”

I waited a moment, but never heard the voice again. Deciding that it was only my imagination, I went ahead with my plan. I searched the drawers of my bathroom sink and found a pair of scissors in one. Holding them open, I slid the sharp end along my left forearm, drawing blood as the stinging sensation ran through my skin. I focused on the cut, once again pulling energy from the place that my power was deep inside my body. 

A fraction of a second later, my bathroom door flew open.

“I smelled fresh blood. What's wrong?” Finn asked quickly as his eyes scanned the tiny bathroom, searching for signs of an attack. His steady gaze finally fell on my arm and the scissors in my hand, and he was instantly in front of me. He pulled the scissors from my grip and let them fall to the floor, then took me in his arms. “I thought I told you that I didn't need you dead,” he whispered the words into my ear.

I froze in his embrace, taking in the fiery scent of him as a shiver went down my spine. It took me a minute to figure out what Finn was thinking, but I quickly explained when I realized what must have been going through his mind.

“Finn, I'm not trying to kill myself. I'm healing it,” I told him as I stepped out of his warm arms and smiled, pointing a finger to my neck. “I healed that already by focusing my energy on it.”

Finn stared at my neck in amazement. “It's all better already. At the rate you were healing before, it shouldn't have been completely gone until at least tomorrow night.”

“Watch this,” I said as I held up my arm between us and once again started focusing on the long cut. 

A minute passed, and the gash had closed. It had become a thin pink line on my skin. After another long moment, the scar had gone away completely, leaving only the line of blood on my arm. I looked up at Finn as I smiled proudly at my accomplishment.

“Aislin, that's amazing,” he said as he softly took my arm in his hand, making my skin tingle. He looked it over, smiling as he turned my limb in the light. He finally brought it down between us again as our eyes met. “You're amazing.”

“Now I just need to clean the blood off,” I laughed as I tried to pull my arm from his hand. 

His grip wasn't tight, but he held onto my forearm, pulling it closer to his face. I watched him, almost worried that his control was slipping, then I realized what he was doing. His tongue escaped his mouth as he slid it down my arm, taking the blood from my skin. I shivered, the effect having nothing to do with the air hitting my still wet body.

He brought his crystal clear gaze back up to me and licked his lips. He was definitely not Balor.


	17. Chapter 17

My heart beat started racing as Finn stared me down in the bathroom. I became painfully aware of the fact that I was wrapped in only my towel as I watched his gaze travel down my body. His hungry eyes sent my pulse into overdrive, but my mind conjured up images from only an hour ago of the red eyed demon trying to kill me. I inadvertently took a small step back, putting distance between myself and Finn's strong body. My own body and my mind continued to send me mixed messages. Earlier, my head knew that Finn wouldn't hurt me, but my body flinched away; now, my body was crying out for this man in every way imaginable, but my inner voice was screaming at me to run. There was nowhere to run, though. Finn had me cornered.

Finn released my arm then, watching my face as he backed up into the door way of the bathroom. 

“You better go get dressed.” He smiled as he shut his eyes and shook his head, his accent harder to understand than it was a few minutes ago. 

“Finn, I...” I trailed off, not sure of what I could say to fix the situation. If he hadn't just tried to kill me, I would have no second thoughts about doing what was surely going through his mind. The small fear of him losing control while I was distracted and vulnerable kept me from letting myself get lost in his touch, though.

“It's okay, darlin'. I understand. I don't blame you,” he replied as he opened his eyes to look at me one last time, licking his lips before turning his back to me.

I watched the muscles in his back move as he walked out of the bathroom. My body felt betrayed, but there was no way I would have been able to fully give myself to Finn at that time. As I stood there, trying to convince myself that I'd done the right thing, I could hear Finn getting a glass of water in the kitchen. I finally made my feet move in the direction of my bedroom when I thought it was safe to walk through the hallway without changing my mind. 

While I was getting dressed, Finn called out to me from the kitchen. “Aislin, where is your phone? I need to put Shinsuke's number in it in case you need him.”

I slipped on my jeans and replied to him through my bedroom door. “In my purse on the kitchen table.”

After I pulled on a purple, long sleeved shirt, I prepared myself to go face-to-face with Finn again. I took a deep breath and opened my bedroom door, but I saw no one in the apartment. I walked the five steps into the living room, then moved into the kitchen. I realized that I had been left alone.

Looking down at the kitchen table, I spotted my phone lying there. I picked it up to look at the screen, noticing a text from Roman was open.

“I'll be at Raw at one. Please meet me there. I need to explain some things.”

Worry leapt through my body at seeing his message. I checked the time on my phone and realized it was already ten minutes past one. I knew in my gut that Finn had seen that message and went to meet Roman himself at Raw. I wasn't sure if Finn was going to just talk to Roman, or if he needed to unleash pent up frustration, but I knew the outcome of those two being in the same place wasn't going to be good.

I shoved my phone into my back pocket and rushed to my bedroom for a pair of socks. After pulling them on, I headed for the front door, slipping my shoes on as I pulled it open. When I stepped out of the door and into the sunlight, I ran directly into a hard body with a loud “oof” sound.

“I thought he'd never leave you alone.” Roman was standing in my doorway, his light grey shirt the first thing I saw before stepping back to look him in the eyes.

The man standing before me looked like the normal Roman I had called my best friend. No glowing irises were shining in his face, only a worried expression as his gaze shifted between me and his surroundings. I realized he was probably watching out for Finn to return. 

I slowly backed up into the apartment, reaching for the phone in my back pocket. I had intended on dialing Finn's number without Roman noticing, hoping that Finn would come back to the apartment if he heard Roman's voice here; but apparently I wasn't as sneaky as I thought I was. Roman slowly walked into the apartment and took my arm, lightly pulling it back around in front of me. 

“I'm not going to hurt you. I really do just want to talk,” Roman told me as he released my arm and turned to shut the front door.

“Then talk.” I was nervous about him being there, but I wasn't going to let him know that. I crossed my arms in front of my chest, squaring my shoulders in his direction. “You can start by explaining that text and why you're here now instead of at Raw.”

He turned back to me and actually started answering my question. “I'm here now because I saw Finn at Raw alone. As soon as I saw him, I came here. I didn't think he'd let you out of his sights now that you know what we are. What all do you know now, anyway?”

“I'm the one asking the questions. Not you,” I replied, unsure of what I should and shouldn't tell Roman. I decided to steer the conversation in a different direction. “Why didn't you help me last night?”

“No one was supposed to hurt you last night,” he began explaining as he moved his hand over his beard, uncertain of what he was going to say.

“That's not what it felt like,” I told him, trying to keep my voice cold. “And what about the other two attacks? Were they supposed to hurt me?”

“The first attack was a rogue demon. He had heard that you were a healer and he wanted to get to you before Wyatt or Balor did. I don't know if you realize how rare healers are now, but there are only a few left in this world; so the fewer people who know about you, the better. As for the second attack, it was someone who was working with us. He was supposed to be waiting on me to bring you to Wyatt after I told you about everything and you actually wanted to help us, but he got impatient when they realized I hadn't told you anything yet even though Balor was already here. And about last night, Luke is an idiot.” Roman sighed as he ran a hand through his long, wavy hair. “Well, _was_ an idiot anyway; but, if I thought he was going to get scared enough to actually kill you, I would have ripped his heart out myself. They were only supposed to make it look like you were in danger. We were baiting Balor.”

“Why? Finn has never done anything to you,” I argued, still hiding all emotion from my voice.

“Finn hasn't, but Balor has,” he replied, setting me with a steely gaze. 

I met his eyes with my own, not backing down from my argument. “Finn isn't Balor, Roman. What did he even do to you that would make you want to kill an innocent human?”

With my words, Roman's russet brown eyes started glowing slightly. Terror ate at my insides as I remembered how quickly an out of control demon could sink their claws into me. I uncrossed my arms and took another step back from him before he growled and unleashed his temper on me.

“Balor killed my entire pack. Me and two other pups were the only ones who made it out of that massacre alive. We hellhounds had never threatened Balor—never wanted to cross paths with him at all—but he still killed our families right in front of us. His only reason was because we were growing in numbers and strength. The only reason he let us little ones live was so we could clean up the mess. We weren't even five years old at that time! The three of us watched him eat the majority of our brothers and sisters! What he did to our parents...” Roman stopped as anguish and pure hatred shone on his features. He took a deep, shaking breath as he tried to control the rage my words had set off in him. After taking a moment to calm himself, his eyes stopped shining. When he spoke again, it was quiet. “Finn may be innocent, but if we have to take his life for Balor to die, then that's what we'll do.”

“I understand that you hate Balor, but if you kill Finn only to get revenge, doesn't that make you just as bad?” I whispered, not wanting to see Roman's fury again.

Roman seemed to take in my words, but didn't say anything else about it. He didn't get mad at my reasoning, which was a good sign, I thought. I decided to try a different angle since it appeared he was actually listening to what I had to say.

“Finn can control Balor, Ro. He's not hurting anyone right now. Balor is basically trapped. If you kill Finn, it'll just release Balor's soul into someone else. If that happens, the next person might not be able to keep him in check. They'll get taken over and Balor will start killing innocent people again. You're better off leaving Balor alone with Finn.” 

I knew that if Finn was killed, I'd be the next body that Balor went for, thanks to that part of his soul I was housing. I also knew that I was right. If they killed Finn, I wouldn't be able to control Balor. I simply wasn't strong enough.

Roman watched me as I spoke, but had a quick response. “What happens when he loses that control? What if he loses it around you. He could easily attack and kill you, Aislin.”

His words took me off guard. I subconsciously moved my hand up to my throat, remembering that Balor would have killed me in Finn's weak moment if it hadn't been for Shinsuke. Telling Roman that would just prove his point, though, so I kept it to myself.

“He wouldn't kill me.” The lie was mostly to make myself feel better.

Roman eyed the hand I brought to my neck suspiciously, but didn't mention it as I pulled it back to my side. He tried to reason with me instead.

“I've watched Balor jump from mortal to mortal. We have been tracking him ever since we realized that he was still here. Every time one of the humans think they have control over Balor, he tries to over power them and it backfires. I've watched him kill hundreds—no, probably thousands—of humans, trying to find one with a strong enough body to withstand his full power. Finn has lasted longer than any other human Balor has taken, but he can't hold him forever. I don't know what Finn has told you about Balor, but there is absolutely no way that he has the control he thinks he does.”

“If you know that Balor just jumps ship when the body dies, why do you think killing Finn will kill Balor this time?” I asked him, already knowing the answer Roman was going to give me.

“Because we have the dagger now.” He seemed so sure of himself, but I had to tell him the truth.

“Roman, that dagger won't kill Balor. Finn tried using it when he got possessed. It will only kill the body Balor is in, and other immortals, according to Finn. I'm telling you right now, killing Finn is the worst decision you could make if you don't want to have Balor killing people again.”

“According to Finn, huh?” he replied as he gave me a look that said I shouldn't believe what Finn had said. “Of course Finn is going to say that. He doesn't want us using it on him.”

“He wouldn't have any reason to lie to me about that,” I shot back as I took a step closer to Roman, the fake bravery beginning to hold weight in my body language.

I assumed Roman would tell me that I was wrong. Instead, he changed the subject completely. “Did Finn tell you what you supposedly had that belonged to Balor?”

“He did.”

“And?” Roman pushed for an actual answer from me.

“And, it's... complicated,” I answered him as I averted my gaze, not sure of what I should and shouldn't say.

Roman gave me a questioning stare. 

As much as I wanted to tell him everything, I knew he'd no doubt use this information to help the group of demons who wanted to kill Balor. The one thing Finn didn't need was the demon army finding out that he couldn't use all of Balor's strength anymore because of a missing piece.

“Let's just say, if you want to kill Finn just so you can kill Balor, then you'll have to kill me as well.” I kept my stare focused on Roman, waiting for a response.

Taking me by surprise, Roman stepped up to me and lightly put his warm hand on my cheek, saying, “I don't know what that's supposed to mean, but I could never kill you. My whole reason for coming here was to try to convince you to come with me. Help us defeat Balor. We can keep you safe from him.”

Before I could even tell Roman that I wasn't in danger, my attention was taken by a cloud of smoke coming from under my front door. It was almost like the outside world was on fire, and the smoke was making it's way into my living room. I gasped and backed away from Roman and the door, shocked at what I was seeing; but Roman didn't move. Instead, he stood still, keeping his back to the wooden door. His eyes started the luminescent glow again as the thick mist started curling around his head, slowly taking form. It had stopped flowing from the door, going only as far as Roman before it ceased it's journey completely.

I noticed with amazement that the tendrils of smoke were taking the shape of arms around Roman's neck. Black and red arms, to be exact. My brain could hardly keep up with what I was seeing; but from the fog, a body materialized—red eyes and all.

Not teleportation, I thought to myself before I processed what was actually going on.

I realized that Finn was standing in front of me then; his demon eyes glowing, an arm around Roman's neck, ready to kill him. I couldn't tell who was in control—Finn or Balor— but I knew that I didn't want Roman to die in my living room.

“Finn!” 

I called his name and thought about moving for him, but decided against it when he didn't look up at me. If this was Balor in front of us then Roman had a better chance at getting the demon to back down than I did. The red gaze was fully focused on Roman as both men stood completely still, the only sounds coming from either of them being feral growls.

“Give me one good reason why I shouldn't kill you right now,” the two-toned voice said to Roman.


	18. Chapter 18

My terrified mind quickly found solace in the fact that the higher-pitched voice was present this time. I had only heard the deep voice of Balor when he'd slipped past Finn's defenses earlier, so hearing Finn's own voice in the mix gave me the confidence to not go hide under my blanket in my bed. The last time I had seen this version of Finn, he had his hands around my neck, so I felt as though I had every right to be a little nervous.

“She doesn't want this,” Roman said quietly as he slightly jerked his head in my direction. “You know she'll hate you if you kill me right here. If you truly love her like you say, then that should be a good enough reason for you.”

Finn finally brought his crimson eyes up to meet mine before quickly turning them back to Roman with an almost hurt expression. As mad as I was at Roman, I didn't want him dead—especially not in my living room. For some reason, I still cared about the man. After hearing his side of the story, I could understand why he thought he had to kill Finn. However, understanding him didn't mean I agreed with him. 

When Finn spoke again, the low voice was less commanding, a good sign that Finn was slowly releasing Balor's influence.

“If you'd have hurt her, I wouldn't have hesitated. Go.”

With that, Finn released Roman.

“Think about what I said, Aislin. You aren't safe here.” Roman gave me a pleading look, then the hellhound disappeared.

Finn closed his eyes and let go of Balor completely. His arms and face returned to their natural pale color as the nails and teeth shortened in length. He raised his now sky blue eyes to meet mine as he let out a sigh.

“I honestly didn't plan on letting you see that side of me again. I could tell it frightened you.”

He was right, I thought. Balor materializing out of smoke in my living room was a terrifying sight, especially since I wasn't able to tell at first who was in control. I thought I was hiding the fear in my expression when his red irises had glanced my way, but it seemed as though I hadn't done a very good job at it.

“You did what you thought you had to do.” I turned my gaze to the floor as I breathed deeply for the first time since Roman had appeared at my door.

“Sorry about reading your message. I just happened to see that it was from Roman, and I needed to know what he wanted,” Finn said as he took a cautious step in my direction. Him reading my text was the last thing on my mind right then. “I was worried he'd set up another ambush.”

“He was honestly just here to talk.” My voice caught even my own ears by surprise as I stared back up to Finn. I hadn't meant to sound so defensive about Roman, but that was the way it came out. I needed Finn to know that Roman wasn't trying to hurt me, though. “He was explaining to me about why he wanted the demon dead.”

“I know why he wants Balor dead,” Finn told me as he ran a hand down his face. “I know what Balor has done. Every time I see a demon who's after him, he insists on showing me memories of what he's done to them. I saw what he did to the hellhounds. I know how evil he is.” Finn paused there, but acted as if he had something else to say. I stayed quiet, waiting on him to gather the courage to speak again. “He killed my parents while using my body. They saw Balor when they died, but I could tell they knew it was me.” He let out a long breath and turned his back to me then, saying, “Sometimes, I think I do deserve to die alongside of Balor.”

Anguish struck my heart as I tried to imagine what that must have felt like for Finn. He had been living every day since Balor took him over with the thought of his own parents' blood on his hands. As much as I argued with my parents, I'd never want them dead. I definitely wouldn't want to be the cause of their deaths. 

I walked up behind Finn and put my hand on the muscles of his back in a comforting motion. “Finn, that wasn't you. It was the demon. You do not deserve to die just because he's possessing you now.”

“Do you feel safe around me?” His voice was quiet as he kept his back to me.

I hesitated, and he caught it. 

“That's what I thought,” he said as he took a step forward.

I let my hand fall to my side as I tried to decide on how to answer Finn's question. I shifted through my own feelings first, going back to how he had saved me multiple times. He was always there to protect me. The one time he lost his control was when Shinsuke had mentioned killing me. I could only imagine what thought Balor had slipped into Finn's mind in that moment, but I was sure it didn't help Finn at all to hear whatever the Demon King had to say.

I finally decided on a response. “I do feel safe around you when you're the one in control. Right now, I feel safe.”

Finn slowly turned back around to face me once more. “And what happens if I lose control again? Without Shinsuke being here?”

“I'll call him.” I didn't hesitate that time. I was feeling more and more sure of myself once I had actually thought about what had happened. As long as no one triggered Balor to try to take the debt I owed him, Finn could keep Balor under his thumb.

“And if you aren't near your phone? Or you can't reach it in time?” he continued, sounding almost like he wanted me to admit that he was a danger to me.

“That won't happen again, Finn.” I kept my voice calm, trying to diffuse his growing tension.

“I wish I had your confidence about it,” he said as he lightly took my hand and brought it to his lips, pressing a soft kiss on the top of it before letting it fall again to my side. “I just don't want to see you hurt. Especially at the hands of Balor. He heard you last night, before you went to sleep. As soon as you told us that you owed us your life, he wanted to take it. He has every right to want that right now—it's in his best interest. That's why I've been having a harder time controlling him today.”

“Is that who you were talking to when I walked into the living room this morning?” I remembered him mumbling to himself, but I had assumed that he was on the phone.

Finn let out a huff of air, almost like a nervous laugh, before turning his eyes to me again. “This morning, he wanted me to kill you while you were asleep. He said that way I wouldn't have to see the hurt look on your face. I've been fighting the damn demon all day. Shinsuke completely shut his voice and control off, though. I had to pull harder than normal to get the strength just to use the smoke since Shinsuke calmed him down.”

“That's good. It means you shouldn't lose control of him any time soon, right?” I was trying to stay hopeful for Finn, but his mood hadn't improved.

“That's what it means. It also means that if a strong demon tries to attack, I'm going to have a hell of a time getting Balor back up to strength.”

I hadn't thought of that. If Wyatt's demons attacked Finn while Shinsuke had Balor pushed down, Finn would have a hard time fighting. He would probably have to use all of his strength just to pull Balor back up to the level he needed, but then he'd be tired already.

We stood in silence for a moment, both of us lost in our own thoughts. I was already starting to think of a plan that involved using my power to help Finn bring Balor back if he needed, but I wasn't even sure I could do that. Would that be considered healing Balor's soul, I wondered to myself. 

Finn distracted me from my thoughts when he took a step back from me to talk again. “Now that you know both sides to the story, you're free to choose which side you want to be on, if any. You could easily tell them about Balor's broken soul. Like Shinsuke said, the dagger might work to kill him in this state.”

“But it would also kill you. You are still an innocent man, Finn. I'm never going to help anyone hurt an innocent man. I am choosing to stay by your side and help you however I can.”

A look of pure relief washed over his face at my words. “How did I get so lucky?”

“I don't know if I'd call it luck.” I smiled at him, realizing the situation had finally diffused.

Without warning, my stomach decided to imitate the noise that the demons were making moments ago. Finn laughed as I realized I hadn't eaten yet, so he offered to cook for me. Going into the kitchen, we raided my cabinets for something that would pass as lunch.

 

_**Roman** _

Roman returned to the hotel room his brothers were staying at in California. The other two hounds hadn't made it back yet, and he assumed they were still out looking for the fairies that Wyatt wanted to recruit for the battle against Balor. 

He stood in silence, thinking about what Aislin had said. Her words held a conviction that he hadn't heard in such a long time, and they actually made sense to him. If he and the rest of the demons killed that human just to destroy Balor, they would be just as bad as the Demon King. 

Well, not just as bad, Roman thought. It would only be one innocent life on their hands, unlike the thousands on Balor's. What was one human life compared to the death of the most evil demon in existence? As he thought about that, he realized what that one life lost would do. It would surely break any trust he had left with Aislin. She would almost certainly hate him if he helped in this plan. Could he handle that look of betrayal on her face again after defeating the Demon King?

He also thought about the fact that Finn hadn't killed him in the apartment. If that were Balor, Roman wouldn't be alive to return to his brothers-in-arms. He knew there was a chance that Aislin was right about the human being able to control the demon. Finn had held down Balor for around a hundred years. The demons around the world might be better off with Finn in control of the beast instead of raising an army against him. They could always just be prepared for the day that Balor finds a human he can take over completely. That would be a justified killing of a human, he reasoned with himself.

“We're back, and it was a success!” Seth cheered as he emerged beside Roman in the hotel room, shaking Roman from his thoughts.

“We told the fairy ladies where to find Wyatt, and they are on their way now.” Dean appeared right after Seth, then he flopped down to lay on his back atop the twin bed closest to the window, smiling proudly.

“And how did your mission go, Roman? She obviously didn't jump into your arms and decide to help us,” Seth said as he went to the mini-fridge for a bottle of water.

Still standing in the middle of the room, Roman surprised even himself with what he said. “What if we don't kill Balor?”

Both Dean and Seth stopped what they were doing and stared at Roman. 

“What do you mean, Roman?” Dean sat up in the bed to give Roman a questioning look.

“We're going to help kill that bastard one way or another. Whether it's with Wyatt or the other guy,” Seth assured Roman as he stood up from the fridge and shut the door.

“I don't mean what if we _can't_ help kill him...” Roman stopped, trying to decide on how to get his friends to understand how he felt. “I mean, what if we just don't. We could pull out of this whole thing and just forget about it.”

Seth and Dean exchanged weary glances before returning their scrutinizing gazes to Roman. He wasn't sure how they'd take this suggestion, but he was about to find out.

“What did that girl say to you, Roman?” Seth walked up to the taller man, almost getting in his face. His tone when he spoke again was on the verge of anger. “We can't just give up. Don't you remember what he did to us—what he did to our families?”

Dean cut in there, standing up to join Seth in front of Roman. “Even if we didn't want to kill him anymore, there's no way we could back out now. No one would let us.”

Roman found himself echoing Aislin's words then. “But that guy has controlled Balor for so long. Is he still a real threat to us now? If we kill that idiot human just to get Balor, won't it make us the real bad guys?”

“No!” Seth yelled, turning away from Roman and throwing his bottle of water across the room. It hit the wall and sent the liquid pouring out, dripping from the floral wallpaper. He turned back to Roman then and pushed his dark hair out of his face, saying, “It makes us heroes, damnit! Don't let her try to talk you out of getting revenge on him!”

“Whose side are you on here, Roman?” Dean questioned as he began his incessant pacing, focusing his sapphire eyes on the floor. “Who are you loyal to here—us or that girl?”

Roman knew they probably wouldn't like his idea, but he had to try. He straightened his broad shoulders and stood toe to toe with his pack mates. “I'm only loyal to the Hounds of Justice—you both know that. Whatever you guys want to do, I'll go along with. We do what we need to do to survive; but aren't you tired of holding this grudge, because I know I am. It's been so long now. If the only thing on our minds all the time is getting revenge on Balor, then he's still winning this. He's still in our heads and he's still effecting us. We can't form normal relationships with other people if all we think about is that monster. We can't relax and just be happy if he's always in the backs of our minds. If we just walk away, we can stop letting him have that control over our lives.”

Dean stopped pacing and Seth took a step back from Roman. 

“We aren't having this discussion, man,” Seth told him as he turned for the bathroom, ready for a shower.

Dean stepped up to Roman then, speaking softly to his best friend. “Roman, even if we wanted to, neither of the demons we're working for would let us leave them alive. You know that.”

Roman sighed deeply as he finally sat down on the small bed. 

“It was worth a shot,” he said, more to himself than anything.


	19. Chapter 19

_**Aislin** _

Once we finished eating, Finn helped me clean up the kitchen before we moved to the living room. After everything that had already happened that morning, Finn seemed to be in a much better mood. I had assumed that was because he didn't have Balor whispering in his ear, though. We had talked about things that weren't supernatural, and we had laughed and joked about different things. It had been a relatively normal afternoon, I thought as I stood up from in front of the TV after picking out something for us to watch.

I walked back over to the couch, planning on taking the seat on the opposite end as Finn; but he motioned for me to sit right beside of him, patting the cushion with his hand.

“It'll get awfully lonely all the way over there by yourself,” he joked, a smile gracing his lips. “You might get scared.”

“Finn, I just put in the Death Note DVD. If I get scared of that, there's something wrong with me.” I laughed as I sat down beside him and curled my legs under myself.

“This is why you got so nervous when you found out Shinsuke is a shinigami?” Finn eyed me with what appeared to be amusement as the character Ryuk, who was also a shinigami, appeared on the screen.

I just laughed at him, thinking that real shinigami weren't anything like the ones in this show. Shinsuke already struck me as trustworthy, especially if Finn trusted him with his life. 

A few minutes later, Finn placed his arm around my shoulder, pulling me closer to him. I let myself relax against his strong chest, smelling the scent of warm summer nights once again. We sat like that in silence, cuddled up on the couch, for a few episodes of the anime before we were interrupted.

With no warning, a blinding light appeared in front of us. I jumped back up to a sitting position but noticed Finn had stayed calm. Looking to the light, I realized that Shinsuke had invited himself back to my apartment.

Shinsuke smiled at us, but the smile quickly faded as I paused the show. He almost seemed upset about something as he started shaking his head back and forth in his over-exaggerated movements.

“What's wrong, Shinsuke?” Finn sat straight up on the edge of the couch and watched Shinsuke, who was running his hand down his face.

“We have a problem.” Shinsuke leveled his dark gaze at Finn as he spoke in his slow accent. His movements stopped all together.

There was that word again: problem. I was guessing the few hours of peace Finn and I had were all we were going to get. My pulse picked up as I waited for Shinsuke to explain.

“The army is gathering. I've been watching Wyatt all day. He just sent for all the demons to meet tonight. They're coming for you, Finn.” 

I could feel Finn stiffen beside me as his eyes grew wide. “When are they meeting?”

“Midnight.”

I realized that night had already fallen as I pulled my phone off the small table beside the couch to check the time. “It's seven o'clock now. That gives us five hours until midnight.”

Finn sat silently for a minute, probably thinking about what his strategy should be as he studied the floor in front of his feet. I returned my phone to the table as I waited for someone else to speak.

“Finn,” Shinsuke started as he raised his hand toward Finn, “I will fight along side you. Tell me what you need me to do.”

Finn perked up, some of the tension easing out of his body. He took Shinsuke's hand and gripped it in his own as he stood up from the couch. “I need you to release your magic on me. I need to be able to use Balor without using all my energy just to pull him out.”

Shinsuke took on a nervous look as he once again started shaking his head, releasing Finn's grip. “I can't do that. It has to wear off on its own. I am so sorry. I thought we would have more time until this battle.”

“What do you mean by you can't do that?” Finn questioned, his voice sounding worried.

“I can't pull him back up after I've pushed him down. Either he needs to do that himself, or you need to pull him hard enough to release him.”

Suddenly, a thought hit me as I stood up to join the men. “What if I can help? You pull him back up all the way, and I'll try to heal your energy afterwards, that way you still have the strength to fight after you pull him out.”

“That might work,” Shinsuke said as he closed his eyes and tilted his head toward the ceiling. “But will you be able to control him after pulling him all the way up? Especially with her being so close?”

Finn looked deep in thought for a moment, shutting his eyes and shaking his head. I watched both men as they met each others gazes, then they looked to me. Shinsuke's expression held a question, Finn's clear eyes held the answer.

“No. I don't want to try that. I'll just pull him out when we get there and use whatever strength I have left to fight.” His tone said that was the end of this discussion, but I wasn't about to let it go that easily.

“Why not?” I asked him, unable to see any sense in his response. “This is a good plan! And it might be the only way you'll be able to have a fighting chance at this. I can wait until we get there to try it, but waiting until last minute might make things harder. I've never tried this on anyone else, so I may need a little time to get it right.”

Finn took a step toward me and let a small smile appear on his full lips. “I'm grateful that you want to help, love,” he said as he took both of my hands in his, the smile fading from his face, “but Balor will be very angry when he comes back out, and he'll do whatever he can to make sure that doesn't happen again. It took everything I had to control what little bit I pulled up when I found Roman here, but using all of my strength to get him back up to fight will leave me with nothing to control him.” Finn released my hands then and turned his eyes away, looking at anything but me. “Also, 'we' aren't going anywhere. Shinsuke and I will be going to fight. You'll stay here where you're safe.”

My mouth gaped open at Finn's words as I stared at him in disbelief. “Like Hell I'm staying here. I told you I would help you any way I can, and this is how I can help.”

“Yeah, I didn't think it'd be that easy.” He almost laughed at himself then as his eyes came back to me.

“If I may,” Shinsuke said as he stepped beside Finn and put his hand up, almost like he was showing something off, “I am right here if Balor tries to kill her again. I can push him back if I need to. You'll have to do the whole thing over again when we go to fight if I need to do that, but she is right. This is worth trying.”

Finn glanced over to Shinsuke and nodded. He then turned back to me and said, “Okay, we'll try it, but not yet. First, we need to figure out what we're going to do when we get there. Wyatt has at least thirty demons on his side right now. There are only two of us who can fight.”

“So... we plan a sneak attack,” Shinsuke suggested as he let a slow smile creep across his face.

 

A few hours passed as we went back and forth with ideas about how to take on an army of demons. Shinsuke had been keeping tabs on who had joined Wyatt, so Finn knew what he was up against. There were werewolves, shapeshifters, fairies, the hellhounds, ogres, water demons, fire demons, ghouls, a couple other shinigami, and the one witch.

I had asked Shinsuke why the other shinigami were on Wyatt's side in all of this, but he only said it was because they didn't have the power to realize that Finn wasn't Balor. I wanted to ask about what Balor had done to them, but I refrained from mentioning it. I didn't want to cause a rift in the friendship between these two men. Whatever Balor had done, Shinsuke had obviously put it in the past, unlike the other demons. His words had reminded me of what I was trying to get Roman to understand during his visit, and I found myself wishing that all of these demons could have the same mind-set as Shinsuke about all of this. This whole thing could easily be avoided if that were the case.

Finn and Shinsuke had decided that we would beat the army to the meeting point. If we got there before they did, we could take care of each demon as they appeared. I was happily surprised that Finn didn't want to immediately kill every demon who showed up. He was adamant about only hurting them to the point where they could no longer fight. He had insisted that if they killed them just for showing up, then he and Shinsuke were no better than Balor. Shinsuke had seemed to wholeheartedly agree with this.

Finn looked to Shinsuke as we all three sat at my small kitchen table and said, “Unless it comes down to our lives or theirs, I'll do my best to not kill them. I don't like killing people from behind in a sneak attack unless they deserve it.”

My heart clenched as I thought of the two demons I had seen him kill in that way—the first demon who attacked me, and the one who was standing behind Roman the night I found out who Finn really was. I looked down to the can of Pepsi I had in my hand as I thought about what was going to happen. 

An actual war was about to break out. Two demons and a healer against a group of almost three dozen demons. The first dream I had that starred Balor came back to my mind then—all of the demon eyes surrounding me and Balor coming for me, demanding that I give his soul back. That very well could be the outcome of this night, I thought to myself before the rest of the dream flashed through my memory. I didn't want to see Finn die. I was determined to do everything in my power to keep that from happening.

“Ai-chan,” Shinsuke softly said, pulling me from my thoughts. “I think it's time to try waking the demon. If we are going to beat the others to the meeting point, we need to go soon.” Shinsuke smiled at me before turning his attention to Finn. “I will be right here.”

Finn's expression held worry as he stood up and turned his attention to the shinigami. “Shinsuke, if anything happens, stop me.” He moved his focused eyes to me next. “Go ahead and start trying to restore my strength as I'm pulling Balor. If I can keep my own energy up, I can control him while releasing him from Shinsuke's magic.”

I only nodded at Finn as I stood up with him. Shinsuke went to stand at Finn's back at the same time, ready to hold him down if it were needed. I watched as Finn closed his eyes and started taking deep breaths, keeping his head turned to the ground. The skin on his arms and neck slowly started changing color, turning the slightest bit red. I stepped up to him and placed both my hands on the black t-shirt covering his hard chest, trying to focus on that feeling I had when I succeeded in healing my own injuries. I could feel the tiny tingling sensation running through my hands, and I hoped that they were going in the right direction to help Finn.

Finn's breathing picked up then as his color darkened to form the black and red patterns I had seen before on Balor. My own nerves began to tangle themselves up, making my stomach do flips as I watched Finn raise his head. There was sweat beading down his forehead from the effort he was putting forth to regain all of Balor's strength from Shinsuke's magic, and I could feel my own trembling palms getting wet. I continued to only think about the energy flowing through me and into Finn as he slowly opened his eyes to meet mine. 

My concentration faltered for a split second as the fiery demon irises glowed in my direction.

“You'll have to try harder than that.” The deep Irish accent came from Finn's mouth, but it wasn't his voice.

Shinsuke quickly grabbed Finn around the stomach, pinning his arms to his sides.

“Shinsuke, no!” I called out to him, trying to get him to hold off on pushing Balor back down.

With every ounce of energy I had, I focused my entire being on helping Finn to regain his control. His body was shaking with the effort he was putting forth, but the demon wasn't letting up.

_Don't think I'm going to help you. You're already using all of your power to restore his strength. You're trying to use mine now._

I attempted to ignore the growl in my own head as I closed my eyes, but an idea came to me.

In my mind, I responded to the demon. “Can Finn hear us?”

_Do you hear our conversations taking place in his mind?_

That was the answer I was hoping for. I didn't want Finn to hear what I was about to try with the Demon King.

“If you just let Finn have control during this fight, I'll give you my life afterwards; that way you and Finn will both live through this.” I didn't speak the words out loud, but I knew Balor would respond.

_We have a better chance at winning with me in control; and I can go right ahead and take your life now instead of waiting. Our odds look better if you die now, little healer._

Once again, I replied with my thoughts. “You aren't going to get control. Either you give Finn control now, or Shinsuke will block you out again and you'll almost certainly die tonight.”

I heard a growl deep in my mind as Balor whispered one word. 

_Deal._

With that, Finn was back in control. I opened my eyes as he stopped fighting against Shinsuke's grasp and stood still, breathing deeply. I quickly worked on giving him his strength back then. I found it easier to heal what he'd lost since I didn't have the two parts of Balor fighting me with my power; but as I poured my magic into him, I could feel myself getting dizzy.

“Aislin,” the two toned voice came from Finn's mouth then, his own accent dancing with Balor's. “You can stop now, darlin'. We've got him.”

Shinsuke released his arms from around Finn as I slowly removed my hands from his chest and took a small step back. I looked up at the man standing before me. He was the Demon King, but he was also Finn. This was the person who had saved my life on multiple occasions, and the demon who had promised to kill me. Fear raced through my veins as I stared at him, but it wasn't because I was afraid of him. I feared losing him the most.

The red and black patterns on his skin shone brightly as his red gaze met mine. Jagged teeth showed through his lips as he smiled at me and said, “Let's go defeat an army.”


	20. Chapter 20

“Where are they meeting, Shinsuke?” Finn asked the god of death, his blood colored eyes turning in Shinsuke's direction.

“In the mountains. Not too far away from here. I can take us there in an instant, if you'd like.” Shinsuke held out both of his hands—one toward Finn and one toward me. At my wary glance, Shinsuke smiled at me. “It doesn't hurt.”

“Hold on one second,” Finn said as he stepped from the kitchen and back through the hallway toward the bedroom.

Shinsuke and I both watched as he emerged from the bedroom holding his black leather jacket that I'd left in there this morning. He walked up to me and placed it around my shoulders.

“It's eleven o'clock at night in October. It'll be freezing up on some mountain, and your jacket got destroyed.” Finn smiled at me as I slipped my arms through the sleeves of his jacket.

“What about you?” I asked as I pulled it tightly around me and let his scent surround me.

“I can't wear a jacket and fight.” He almost laughed at the idea.

Shinsuke called for our attention when he once again placed his hands in front of our faces and smiled. “Shall we then?”

I turned my gaze back to Finn, who was placing his hand in Shinsuke's. I took a deep breath and did the same, grasping Shinsuke's other hand in mine tightly. Finn smiled at me before I squeezed my eyes closed. Suddenly, I felt a tingling sensation, then a wave of nausea came over me. Panic stole my breath as vertigo overtook my senses and I got light headed. It felt as though my body was floating through space; and as far as I knew, it could have been. I kept my eyes shut until the nausea subsided and I could feel solid ground beneath my feet again. The cold night air whipped around me, blowing my hair into my face.

Finally, I regained the ability to breath. Opening my eyes, I realized that we were surrounded by huge trees that blocked out almost all the light from the quarter moon hanging in the night sky. I blinked my eyes a few times, trying to get them to adjust to the darkness, before moving them to search for Finn. My gaze quickly landed on the red glowing orbs in front of me as his face gradually came into view. It was little more than just a silhouette in front of me, and the sight sent memories rushing into my mind of the first time I'd seen him like this. He was strong, I reminded myself. With their plan, there was no way they could lose. 

I had forgotten about my grip on Shinsuke's hand until he gently removed it. In an instant, his hand was replaced by Finn's warm fingers.

I could feel Finn lean his head toward mine then, his heated breath tickling my ear as he whispered to me. “Be very quiet. There are others not far away from here.”

His words made goosebumps rise on my skin as I tried to find who he was talking about, but I couldn't see anyone except the three of us. I watched Shinsuke's irises glowing pure white as I looked over to him. He stood completely still and started quietly talking with Finn.

“It sounds like they are maybe a quarter mile to the north,” he said as he tilted his head in that direction.

Finn looked like he was focusing hard on something as he closed his eyes, but opened them back a few seconds later and whispered, “I can't tell how many are already here. It sounds like a lot, though.”

I matched my volume with theirs and said, “I don't see anyone, and I thought they weren't supposed to be here until midnight.”

“That is what Wyatt said. What do you want to do, Finn?” Shinsuke asked him, waiting for a new plan.

“Aislin, we can hear them talking,” Finn explained to me, still speaking in a barely audible voice as he noticed the look of confusion plastered on my face. He turned to Shinsuke then, trying to come up with a plan B. “We'll get close enough to see how many there are. If we think we can take them, we will. Hopefully we can get the ones already here taken care of before the rest of them gather.” He turned his radiating eyes back to me then. “Aislin, when I tell you to stop following us, please listen. I need you to hide somewhere out of sight.” I was about to protest, but Finn noticed and cut me off, squeezing my hand gently as he forced a small smile in my direction. “We'll need you more after the fight is over. You can heal me and Shinsuke. I'm sure we'll need it.”

Even though I hated the idea of hiding in the bushes, I knew in my heart that Finn was right. I couldn't defend myself against demons, and I would just be a liability to them when the fight broke out. I was going to be more useful when this was over. I just hoped I had enough magic to help them. With a sigh, I agreed to Finn's plan.

We started walking in the direction Finn and Shinsuke had heard the voices coming from. I couldn't hear anything, but I assumed my human ears just weren't as sharp as theirs. 

After about ten minutes of walking in silence, I finally started hearing a voice that sounded almost like a preacher delivering a sermon. We crept closer and closer in complete silence, hidden by the trees and the shadows, until I could see a group of people in the distance. Finn and Shinsuke both came to a stop, assessing the situation as the large group was standing in a clearing facing the man who was delivering a speech to them.

“...tonight! Once we find him, we will take our revenge on that monster!” The man speaking started to laugh, but quickly stopped himself. 

I focused all of my attention on this man, who I assumed had to be Wyatt with the way he took on the role of leader. He was a tall, heavy set man with a round, pale face that was covered by a long, dark colored beard. His eyes were hidden by a hood that came from a jean vest he was wearing over a plain black t-shirt. Dark dreadlocks flowed from under the hood, going almost all the way to his elbows. In his hand, he held up a bright gas lantern. The fire from the lantern helped the moon in the sky to illuminate the scene.

“We were going to wait until we had the healer on our side; however, it doesn't look like that will ever happen.” Wyatt stopped and stared at the man beside him accusingly. 

I realized Roman was standing to Wyatt's left, his gaze turned down to the grass in front of his feet as Wyatt tried to drill holes through him with his stare. My heart jumped at seeing Roman, but I quickly shut it down when I remembered why he was here in the first place. Everyone was here just to kill Balor—and Finn.

Two other men stood behind Roman, all three of them wearing what I thought were tactical vests with black pants and boots. It almost looked like they were ready for war. I guess that was a good thing, I thought to myself, since this _was_ a war. I realized then that the man standing to Wyatt's right was the same man who had told me he was Cass's father—Vince. I should have known that he was in on this if Cass was.

Wyatt started talking again, bringing my attention back to him. “We have more numbers than I first imagined we would, though. Thanks to Abigail, we've been able to travel through the human world with human faces as we wish, gathering more and more allies.” Wyatt nodded to a woman standing in the front of the crowd facing him. She was a short woman who looked even younger than me, and her long black hair hung partially in her ghost white face. Her devilish smile seemed proud as she received Wyatt's words of praise, keeping her bright orange eyes on him. This must have been the witch, I thought.

“We are more than Balor's victims. We are strong. We will find him, and we will enjoy killing that demon!” His voice got quiet then. “We're here.”

With that, he stopped talking and blew out the lantern, leaving only the luminescent moonlight to help me see. My breath caught as I realized this was it. I moved my eyes around the large clearing, realizing that every person standing there had irises all glowing different colors. I started sweating despite the cold air around me as the dream once again came to mind. There were a little more than thirty demons standing in this clearing, all out for Balor's blood.

Finn quickly turned to Shinsuke and urgently whispered, “They're all already here. We're going to have to fight now. They'll find us one way or another, and I'd rather it be out here than in town.” Shinsuke nodded in agreement, then Finn turned to me. “Please, stay here. Stay out of sight.”

I tried to whisper to him, but no words would come out. I wanted to tell him that we could just run. We could go back home and avoid all of this. I wanted to ask him to stay safe and be careful if this is what he had to do. I needed to tell him how much he'd come to mean to me. None of the words would form on my tongue, though.

Without hesitation, his red eyes were moving down to my face. He closed them as he leaned down and softly took my lips with his own. No more words were needed then. Everything we both needed the other to know was said with that one desperate kiss.

He pulled away and opened his eyes back, the crimson color flooding my vision. Without another word, he stood up straight and he and Shinsuke started toward the clearing. My pulse grew quicker with each step they took toward the group of demons.

Remembering that I needed to stay out of sight, I chose a tall, wide tree trunk to hide behind. I watched as Finn and Shinsuke walked right to the edge of the clearing, then stopped. I noticed Finn nod to Shinsuke, then they were moving at lightning speed. 

Finn had taken a man down from behind, twisting his head until I heard a sickening crunching noise. I tried not to stare at the demon's body lying limp on the ground, but I couldn't help it. I wasn't sure if a broken neck would kill a demon, but it definitely took him out of this fight. Shinsuke went for a man not far from where Finn was, but instead of breaking his neck, Shinsuke went right for the heart. He ripped it out and threw it aside, obviously not having any problems with killing these other demons.

“Elias! Jinder!” I heard Abigail, the witch, shriek as she turned around to see what was going on. 

Suddenly, the other demons formed a circle around Finn and Shinsuke, trapping them inside. Wyatt slowly entered the circle, making his way between a very tall, very pale red headed man and a shorter bald man with a five o'clock shadow on his face. Wyatt's eyes were grey pits glowing in the night as he rested his gaze on Finn. Finn took on a defensive position as he kept his stare trained on Wyatt.

“It seems our prey has decided to come to us,” he announced, once again using his sermon voice. “That's good. Now we don't have to play that silly cat and mouse game. I wasn't sure if Balor would run from a fight or not.” He turned his mouth up into a sinister smile and almost laughed to himself then.

My stomach tied itself into knots as I watched the circle of demons, all eyeing Finn as though he were the main course of a feast. All of a sudden, the men and women standing around them started to change. Some changed just slightly—the color of their skin changing, or fangs growing, like Finn had done. Others, however, changed forms completely. 

I watched with nervous amazement as Roman started glowing, then went down on all fours. Standing in his place was a huge dog with glowing, rustic brown eyes. The canine's hair was long and black, it's teeth sharp and bared. The two men behind Roman had also changed into giant hounds, and I quickly recognized one. The dog from the bar. Roman had told me that he belonged to a regular customer, but he knew all along what that dog really was. They were hellhounds. The third dog was a lighter color, mostly brown with black fur poking through. His fur was a little shorter than the other two, but his black muzzle held the same sharp teeth.

There were women with wings, men with flames dancing around their fingers, a ten foot long viper curled up ready to attack—among other animals—and the kinds of werewolves you'd see in an old horror movie. I almost gasped when I took all of this in. I had known from the start that all of these people were demons, but until I actually saw them all in their natural bodies, I didn't realize exactly what that had meant. 

“I should have known you'd be watching us. Surely, you've been spying. Did you know,” Wyatt's voice took on a curious edge as he began to slowly walk around the circle of demons, still in his human body, “that every single soul here wants a piece of you, Balor?” 

He stopped talking to menacingly laugh again, his voice sounding like a psychopath as he continued his methodical pace around the demons. Finn turned, keeping his eyes on Wyatt. Shinsuke stood at his back, ready to help when the need arose. 

Wyatt stopped laughing and began talking again. “Of course you knew that. Why else would you come prepared for a fight?” Wyatt stopped his slow walk around the circle, pulling something from the waistband of his pants. “There's no way you can win, though.” He held up a dagger between his finger and thumb that was about ten inches long, including the hilt. It was a simple looking blade, gleaming in the light of the moon. The handle was red and had a golf ball sized black orb on the end. “I have this in my possession. You will die here.”

As soon as the words were out of his mouth, he grasped the dagger as if to stab Finn with it, but he stood still and gazed around the circle of demons. The bodies forming the circle all closed in around Finn and Shinsuke as Wyatt backed away, an evil smile sliding across his lips.

“They get their blood first.” Wyatt let slip another ominous laugh as the glowing eyes narrowed around Finn and Shinsuke.


	21. Chapter 21

At once, the demons all jumped toward Finn and Shinsuke. The only ones remaining out of the fight were Wyatt, the hellhounds, Abigail, and Vince. They all stood at the sidelines to watch, much like I was doing.

I tried to keep my eyes focused on Finn, but the fight was moving so fast that I had a hard time keeping up. I saw a huge, dark colored ogre jump for Finn, but he quickly side-stepped the ogre's grasp. Finn jumped up to the giant's back, swiftly pulling the monster's head from his shoulders in one motion. As soon as the body started falling, Finn jumped off of his back and into another attack. This time, a tall werewolf with long dark hair grabbed Finn's right arm with his teeth, sinking the fangs into Finn's black and red flesh. Finn let himself fall into an overhead kick, striking the werewolf in the snout. With this, the creature released his jaw from Finn's arm. Quicker than I thought possible, Shinsuke was behind the werewolf, pulling his heart through his back.

Once Finn was freed from that attack, the huge viper I had seen earlier struck out and wrapped Finn in his body. He coiled around Finn from the ground, all the way up to Finn's elbows, successfully stopping his movements. When Finn was pinned down, two long haired males that looked identical came to perch on top of the snake. At the same time, they both bit into Finn's shoulders, causing a pained scream to erupt from his mouth as their eyes flared black and red. I thought for sure that these had to be the ghouls Shinsuke had mentioned earlier.

The snake's head slowly crept up to the back of Finn's skull, looking as if it might strike at any moment; but before the three demons could move again, a bright fire erupted from Finn's upper body. All three demons that were attacking Finn turned to ash as the fire engulfed them.

At the same time, Shinsuke was also fighting the enemies, keeping them from getting to Finn. If my count was right, he had successfully taken care of five demons—a couple of fire demons, a couple of shapeshifters, and another werewolf.

Finn stood tall, his black shirt completely burned off of his body as he was still covered in his flames. His chest and stomach showed more of the black and red skin, the intricate pattern the two colors formed painted down his abs. He looked around, waiting for whoever was going to attack him next. Without realizing it, a demon with blue skin had come up behind him and waved his arms gracefully over his head. With no warning, at least fifty gallons of water started pouring from the space in the sky above Finn's head all at once, almost drowning him as the liquid took no time to extinguish his flames. Finn quickly recovered his breath, though, as he turned and landed a well placed kick to the water demon's ribs. Once the demon was down, Finn landed on top of him as he once again erupted into flames. The demon beneath him disintegrated as his body turned to mist.

“Try that on me,” a tall monster said in a raspy voice as he approached Finn. His black hair covered most of his face, but it almost looked like he was wearing a red and black mask. 

Finn just growled as he crouched low to the ground, red eyes glaring at the other demon. Fire started lapping at the big man's arms, and he used it to form a ball in his palm. He threw the fire ball at Finn, but Finn lunged from the ground and used his arms to swing around the demon's neck, bringing the taller man to the ground. Once he was down, the demon tried to sit straight back up, but Finn delivered a drop kick, knocking him back down. Finn was quickly over him, then, stomping his foot through the demon's chest.

My heart ached as the battle continued. I noticed Shinsuke had taken out the two shinigami who were gathered with the group, as well as one of the fairy women with wings. When I fixed my gaze back to Finn, I realized that what appeared to be a huge rhino had speared him to the ground. While he was down, a woman with bright red hair, another male with blue skin, and the ogre with red hair that I'd noticed before when Wyatt moved passed him into the circle had all ganged up on Finn. I didn't mean for the small gasp to escape my throat as the two remaining ghouls joined them, effectively tearing pieces of the red and black flesh from Finn's arms. 

Shinsuke looked over to Finn, trying to fight three fairies off of himself so he could go get the other demons away from Finn, but he was having a hard time getting the women to stay down.

I started pleading with the demon in my thoughts as Finn's agonizing moans continued to pierce my ears. “Go back to him. He needs you—all of you. You're the Demon King, Balor. Surely you can separate yourself from my stupid soul.”

I wasn't expecting a response, so I was surprised when I got one.

_Just remember that when all of this is over, you are mine. Whether the boy dies or not, your life belongs to me._

Before I could think of anything to say to Balor's cryptic reply, I realized that the dog I'd seen in the woods at Raw was moving toward me. I stiffened and held my breath, sweat running down my spine as I tried my hardest to become invisible. It wasn't working, though, and the huge canine sniffed the ground in front of the tree I was hiding behind. I heard the growl from the hellhound a half a second before he lunged, grabbing my left arm in his strong jaws. 

I started fighting him then, trying to pry my arm from his grasp. I balled up my right fist and threw it into the hound's snout, but it did nothing to stop him from dragging me toward Wyatt. I rose to my feet as the hellhound pulled on my arm, ignoring the stinging pain his sharp fangs were causing. As adrenaline took over my movements, I decided to take a page from Finn's book and attempted to drop kick the dog in the side.

It worked, and when my feet hit his ribs, he let out a loud yelp and released my arm as my body fell to the ground. Every demon stopped what they were doing then and looked in our direction. As I watched the black hellhound's tall ears twitch, a light started surrounding him. He transformed back into his human body, the scowl on his face sending my breathing into over-drive. 

He reached down and grabbed me by the arm, lifting me up to meet his light brown eyes as he used his other hand to push the dark hair from his face.

“You're going to regret that,” he whispered to me in a low, threatening voice as he harshly yanked me in Wyatt's direction. 

I tried to dig my feet into the dirt to stop his pull, but it was no use. I could feel my body tingling, but I knew that it had to be the bite mark on my arm healing itself. I found it odd that it was working on it's own so fast, even without me concentrating on healing it; but my thoughts were quickly cut short as the man threw me to the ground in front of Wyatt.

I managed to sneak a glimpse at Finn as my body hit the earth. He was lying motionless in a pool of his own blood. The six demons who were attacking him were now standing over him, iridescent eyes glued to me. I scanned his torn and tattered body, hoping for a sign of life as tears threatened to fall from my eyes because of the state he was in. I realized his chest was very softly moving up and down. He was still barely breathing, I thought to myself in relief.

Shinsuke had been brought to his knees by the three women attacking him, but they were all still now, watching Wyatt with curious, pink glowing eyes.

“Well now, if it isn't the healer,” Wyatt announced as he moved his grey eyes down to me and held a straight face. A shiver went through my body, having nothing to do with the midnight air surrounding us as I gazed up into his cold stare. “And here I was, thinking that he would keep you far away from here.”

I watched as Abigail, who had been standing at Wyatt's side with Vince this whole time, leaned over to whisper into his ear. “Something feels off with her.” She kept her orange stare on my face and began to curl her lips up into an eerie smile.

My heart beat got harder and faster at her words. It felt like I was having a panic attack, a very reasonable response to this whole situation. My nerves, however, didn't feel the same. I had already decided that I wasn't going down without a fight, even if it was a futile attempt.

I chanced a glance behind Wyatt to the two other hellhounds still in their demon form behind him. I immediately knew which one was Roman thanks to the russet brown color of his illuminated irises. I gave him my best hurt expression as he turned his nose down the the ground, not even having the guts to look me in the eye.

“You know, Aislin,” Wyatt started in a loud voice as he knelt down to me, still holding the hilt of the dagger in his hand, “we actually asked your mother to join us first.” He let a small chuckle pass his lips, knowing he'd gotten my full attention with that confession. “She wanted no part in this war. You, though... we knew that if we could get you involved, you would see that you could help us against that monster.” Wyatt pointed the dagger in the direction of Finn. “But as you can see, things didn't go as planned, and it looks like we didn't need you after all.”

Wyatt stood back to his feet as I took in his words. That was it, I realized. That was why my mom was so against me moving here with Cass. She must have known the whole time. The same feelings of betrayal that I had when I realized both Finn and Roman had been lying to me rushed through my veins once again. If my own mother had just told me about all of this from the beginning, I wouldn't be involved at all. I would have known to stay away from Cass. I wouldn't be stuck with this piece of a demon inside of me. I also wouldn't have met Roman or Finn. I knew she must have thought that she was protecting me, but the anger that welled up inside was too much.

“Seth, go ahead.” Wyatt made a hand gesture at the hellhound who'd dragged me over, waving in a nonchalant manner.

Seth growled and immediately went back down to all fours, once again taking on the form of the demon hellhound. I noticed Roman's eyes snap back up to me as Seth slowly stalked toward me. He bared his teeth at me, almost licking his lips in anticipation.

I wasn't sure if the low sound came from inside my head, or from Finn's body, but I suddenly heard Balor's voice. “I'm the one who gets to kill her.”

Before I could tell what was going on, I lost all feeling in my body. The tingling sensations had gotten stronger and stronger as my heart beat sped up to an unprecedented pace. It felt like it was going to explode from my chest as my vision got blurry. 

_Finally. I was starting to wonder if I was enough to take any control of you._

I heard a rough laugh sound in my head as my body started moving on it's own.

Finn had told me that I didn't have enough of Balor's soul for him to even talk to me, much less take over my body; but I had been hearing his deep voice ever since I figured out how to heal myself. My own healing techniques must have been helping the Balor inside me to get strong enough to take partial control. The realization that he had gained some form of control over my body took me by surprise, but I knew that this is what I needed to do in order to help Finn. I wasn't some weak willed person that Balor could easily use, but I also wasn't trying to fight him off. I knew when I needed help, and right then was a perfect example of that.

My body moved to a crouching position, much like I'd seen Finn in against the fire demon earlier. Seth started backing away, still barring his fangs at me. From behind, I heard another low growl. My head turned to see what it was, and I saw the third hellhound creeping closer, blue eyes glowering in the night. Roman stayed in his spot behind Wyatt, obviously not wanting to get involved in this. The look on Wyatt's face was pure amazement as he took in the sight. I wasn't exactly sure what he was seeing, but it obviously took him by surprise.

“How...” he couldn't form a sentence, which was something I assumed didn't happen often. “Get her now!”

With that, the remaining demons abandoned their original prey and jumped toward me all at once. I felt like I was in a dream as I kicked the two hellhounds to the edge of the clearing, hearing them yelp in pain as they landed by the trees. I jumped around the huge rhino who was running closer to me and placed my hands on his back. I felt heat on my arms as the animal exploded into flames, instantly turning to ashes at my feet.

The next victims were the fairies. Balor had no problem using me to rip the wings out of the closest woman's back, tossing them to the side as she screeched in horror at the blood running down her back. After she had fallen, both the other fairies jumped toward me at the same time. I felt myself grab an arm on each woman before I started spinning, slamming them both into the ground around me. I knelt over one and a wave of horror washed over me. I didn't want to see this; I knew what Balor was about to use me to do, and I didn't want that image painted in my memories. 

At my thought, my sight completely blacked out. I couldn't feel or see anything that was going on. Panic rose inside of my mind as I wondered how long this was going to last. I needed to regain control from Balor before I couldn't.

What seemed like an eternity passed by before I was able to see again. I looked around to find that the two women I'd thrown to the ground were now all but gutted. There were also the bodies of the demons who had been ganging up on Finn lying at my feet, dismembered. My gaze involuntarily moved down to my palms in front of my stomach. They were covered in blood, the crimson liquid a stark contrast to my pale skin. As a bright red flame appeared around my wrists and hands, the blood disappeared—just as Finn's had done when I saw him clean his hands of the blood that night at Raw.

_Don't say I never did anything for you._

Before the fire had gone out in my palms, Vince was in front of me. I felt as though I were getting just a little of my control back as I punched him, flame and all, right in the jaw. I had wanted to do that since I met him in the hospital, so the crunching sound that came from his breaking bones was nothing but satisfaction to my ears. Balor was still helping, taking my now flame-free hands and placing them where they needed to be around Vince's head. I cringed as he used me to twist and pull on Vince's skull, the head popping off with ease as Balor used what was left of his strength inside me to decapitate the demon.

I turned my head to look in Finn's direction then as I was regaining the ability to move my muscles on my own. His skin had gone back to the pale color of the Irishman, and he looked like a normal human once again. I noticed that Shinsuke was helping him to sit up, his blue eyes searching the battlefield intensely. Bodies lay strewn everywhere in the grass. The only living things remaining were the three hellhounds, Wyatt, Abigail, Finn, Shinsuke, and myself. Shinsuke pointed a long finger in my direction and Finn followed with his gaze. When the ocean-colored stare landed on me, he almost seemed to go rigid.

I started to force my feet in Finn's direction, but came to a complete stop when I heard more growling from behind me. I turned to see two of the hellhounds creeping for me, obviously recovered from the flight across the clearing. Wyatt and Abigail stood behind them, gazes unreadable. Behind them, Roman still stood his ground. He wasn't attacking like his pack mates were. Instead, he seemed almost reluctant to even be here, never letting his eyes find mine. When the hound with blue eyes jumped for me, I stumbled to the side in a clumsy motion. 

_You're on your own now._

Balor's words echoed in my head as I realized there was nothing I could do. Finn was down, Shinsuke was helping him, and Roman was on the enemy's side. I was essentially alone, trying to fight off these demons. I set my determination as I grounded my feet in the dirt. I wasn't going down without a fight.


	22. Chapter 22

As I tried to stand tall, attempting to remember the movements my body had made while Balor was in control, Seth jumped for me. More sure of myself this time, I side-stepped his attack and tried for another kick in his ribs. The hellhound was too fast for my human speed, though, and he caught my leg in his teeth, once again knocking me to the ground. I reached up to punch him in his long nose, but before my fist could connect, he moved his head and thrashed my leg in his vice-like grip. Pain erupted from the motion as I cried out, unable to stop myself. I flattened my back against the ground and dug my fingernails into the earth, then tried to strike out with my other leg, hoping to knock the demon loose from my limb.

“Seth, Dean,” Wyatt called out to them as he took a step closer to me, leaving Abigail alone. “Stand down.”

His words left me confused as Seth released my leg and hesitantly backed away, still barring fangs in my direction. I wasn't sure what Wyatt was planning, but I imagined it was nothing that was going to help me. 

Instead of watching Wyatt as he spoke, I found my eyes searching for Finn. When I found him, he was slowly trying to get to his feet with Shinsuke's help. I wasn't sure if Wyatt didn't see him as a threat anymore since he had taken so much damage, or if he was just so confident in his own abilities that he was going to allow Finn to stand up once more before he tried to destroy him again.

“It's obvious that this girl is just in our way. I don't quite understand how she came into possession of Balor's power since the boy obviously still has the Demon King, but her eyes were red and she was definitely possessed.” Wyatt turned his hate filled gaze in my direction, looking me over. “It would appear as though she's run out of whatever power she did have.” He cocked his head to the side as he studied me, then straightened back up to look to Abigail, who seemed anxious at his gaze. “My dear Abigail would like to try something.”

Abigail walked over and knelt down on the ground beside me, her glowing eyes reminding me of the burning sun in the sky. She waved one slender hand in front of my face and I became frozen in my spot. I wasn't sure what kind of spell she had used, but it had obviously paralyzed me. I could only watch with terror as she silently leaned her face down to me and gently pressed her lips against my forehead. I inwardly cringed at the motion.

As soon as she pulled away, I felt a burst of pain just like the one I had felt when Shinsuke had tried to move Balor's soul from my body and back into Finn. My gaze darted back up to Abigail's face, and I noticed her eyes shining even brighter as the wicked smile returned to her lips. With terror, I realized she was trying to steal my soul.

I couldn't scream, but I didn't have to. Without warning, Abigail was suddenly engulfed in flames. She started screeching, her wails filling the night sky like what I imagined a banshee to sound like. Before Wyatt could get down to her, Abigail's entire body had turned to ash. 

I could move again once her spell was broken, and I quickly turned my head to see Finn standing beside Shinsuke, his body holding the signs of Balor once more. 

Wyatt let out a guttural roar as he started running his fingers through the ashes of the witch on the ground. He had started mumbling something, but the only words I could catch were “Balor did this.”

Wyatt's voice got higher and louder as he crouched above the ashes, trying to grasp them in his hands. The ashes kept slipping through his fingers, though, upsetting Wyatt even further.

Suddenly, Wyatt got very still and very quiet. “I'm going to take care of Balor now. Seth, Dean, get the shinigami. Roman, kill the girl.”

His words made my chest ache. I was ready to fight to the death with the other two hellhounds attacking me, but not Roman—anyone but Roman. My heart couldn't handle that kind of betrayal from someone I once considered my best friend. My mind raced as I tried to come up with a plan. I needed to get to Finn and Shinsuke and try healing them both before Wyatt attacked. I needed to be able to help them in this fight.

Before Wyatt spoke another word or got back to his feet, Roman returned to his human form. Wyatt slowly stood up and completely turned around to face him, leaving his back open to me. I knew I couldn't make a sneak attack, so I just waited for what Roman was going to say.

“Why do we need to kill her?” he asked Wyatt, his voice hard as his gaze never left the other man.

Wyatt started to laugh in disbelief, his voice sounding like a man on the edge of sanity. “What do you mean? You just saw her kill our friends.” He took a step closer to Roman then, speaking in a quiet voice as he raised his arms in an outstretched position, the dagger still tightly held in his right hand. “She is on Balor's side, and he just killed Abigail. He killed her. She's nothing but ashes now.” Wyatt's voice started to raise as he began laughing hysterically, but it didn't last long before he went quiet again. “Who's side are you on, Roman?”

“I want to kill Balor just as much as you,” Roman started as he raised his head high in confidence, “but I don't think we need to kill her. She didn't do anything to us until we started attacking her. If we kill her just because she was defending herself, that makes us no better than Balor, right?”

Roman's eyes flickered to mine for the briefest second before returning to Wyatt. In that instant, I saw remorse, pain, and regret. I saw an apology, and I was hoping that he'd seen the forgiveness in my own eyes. Had my words really gotten through to him?

“Roman, Roman, Roman...” Wyatt trailed off as he shook his head, returning his arms to his side and chuckling once more. “What are we going to do with you?”

Wyatt's body changed form before anyone else could take another breath. Hair started sprouting from everywhere as his nose changed to that of a dog; the rest of his head was hidden under the hood of the vest, but his grey eyes shone through the darkness. His hands grew black claws as he gripped the dagger and quickly stabbed it directly into Roman's heart. Roman's dark eyes grew wide as he realized what had happened. As Wyatt pulled the blade from Roman, his body slowly fell to the ground.

I couldn't help my screaming as I fumbled to stand up, choosing instead to crawl over to Roman's body. I heard Finn calling my name from across the field, and I heard growling at my back as the other two hellhounds attacked Wyatt, but none of it mattered. I couldn't focus on anything except trying to save my friend.

Blood pounded through my ears as I looked down to Roman's body. The blood poured from his chest at an alarming rate. The dagger wouldn't kill Balor, but it would kill an immortal body like Roman's. Finn had told me that before, but I never imagined that Wyatt would use it on his own allies.

I quickly placed both of my hands over the hole in Roman's chest as I moved my eyes to his face. He was trying to hold his own eyes open, concentrating on watching my movements. 

“Aislin,” he managed to choke out, sounding as if he were gurgling blood. “I'm sorry.”

“Don't,” I whispered, not wanting to hear him speak any final words nonsense. If I could help it, he wouldn't make his final words any time soon.

I focused everything I had into healing his wound, but I only felt a small amount of the magic flowing through me and into Roman. Balor must have taken more out of me than I had originally thought. Between helping Finn pull him out of Shinsuke's spell and Balor feeding on my power in order to gain control, I was almost completely out. 

I pushed harder as I felt myself get dizzy, not wanting to give up until Roman's bleeding had stopped. In my mind, I pictured a tiny stream—one that was almost dried out, just like my magic. I tried to imagine the amount of water growing and overflowing, hoping that I could will my magic to grow as well. Instead of getting better, though, the blood continued to pour out of Roman at the same pace. I kept my gaze focused on his face as I watched his eyes slide shut. I felt tears streaming down my cheeks as I squeezed my own eyes closed tight, ignoring the pain stabbing through my whole body.

“Please, you stupid demon!” I found myself yelling, but this time I was speaking to Balor. “Give me my damn power back! Lend me yours! Something!”

There was no reply.

I pushed harder to transfer my magic to Roman, my body becoming more engulfed in pain as I removed what was working to heal my own wounds. I was more than a little light headed, but I kept going.

I could vaguely hear dogs growling and yelping in distress in the background as I almost lost consciousness completely. I tried to open my eyes, but I couldn't manage the movement. My head collapsed on Roman's blood covered chest as the tears continued to fall freely from my eyes. I was out. I had nothing left to give to Roman, who lay motionless on the ground.

I couldn't do it. I was there for one reason—to help the people I cared about—and I couldn't even do that.

I suddenly felt arms wrap around me and try to lift me off the ground. I wasn't sure who had a hold on me, but before they could rip me away from Roman's lifeless body, I sent one final wave of energy into him, hoping for the best. I let out a scream as I felt the tiny bit of magic flow from me and into the hellhound.

“Aislin,” I heard the calm Irish accent whisper into my ear as he lifted me into his arms. “He's gone.”

Without opening my eyes, I rested my head on Finn's chest and tried to control my sobbing. I let him carry me to the other side of the clearing, away from the fight that was still going on between the enemies who had turned on each other. While in his arms, I attempted to heal Finn's injuries, but felt nothing. Nothing was left for me to give. 

Finn sat me down near the tree line, leaning me against one of the more sturdy trees. I heard him whispering to Shinsuke, but I couldn't hear what he was saying. I tried to will my eyes to open again, but I could only hold them for a second. What I saw, however, terrified me. 

The other two hellhounds were lying motionless on the ground behind Wyatt. I couldn't see a lot of blood on them, but they didn't look like they were in good shape. Shinsuke was knelt down beside me, probably keeping watch of me at Finn's request. Finn was standing in front of me, the skin on his muscular back once more holding the red and black patterns of Balor. He moved his shoulders as he faced Wyatt, who stood only ten feet in front of us. The dagger was still in his grasp—still covered in Roman's blood. 

I knew it wouldn't kill Balor, but it could kill Finn. If that happened, Balor would have me. I didn't want either of those things to happen, but our chances were starting to look bleak.

“Wyatt, think about what you're doing.” I reluctantly let my eyelids slide back down as I heard Finn trying to reason with the demon who didn't seem to want to listen.

Wyatt let his snout drop open into an evil smile as he replied, his voice sounding more gravely than it had when he was in his human body. “I am thinking about what I'm doing. I'm going to kill Balor and take on the title of the Demon King.”

“If you use that to kill me, it will only release Balor into this girl.” Finn surprised me by telling Wyatt the truth. “That dagger won't kill Balor. If you kill me, he'll just go on to the next one. If the dagger actually worked, Balor would have died when I used it on him.”

“Of course you're going to say that,” Wyatt replied, his tone giving away the fact that he thought Finn was lying. “You just don't want to die alongside the demon.”

“The demon won't die!” Finn seemed like he was getting tired of repeating himself. “Even if it would kill Balor, do you really want that title? If you're the strongest demon, think of the target that will put on your back. Other demons like you will just want to take you out in order to say they're the strongest.” Finn was obviously trying to diffuse this situation before it came to a fight once more. 

I could tell by Finn's voice that he was exhausted, along with me and Shinsuke. Even though every other demon on Wyatt's army had been taken care of, we were all out of strength and probably couldn't stand up to Wyatt's final attack.

Wyatt had a quick response to Finn's reasoning. “Then I'll kill them, too. It will only help prove the fact that no one is stronger than I am.”

“I don't know that you could handle having demons trying to attack you for no reason except to prove their strength,” Finn argued, but his voice almost sounded like a challenge to Wyatt.

“Wyatt can't, but I know who can.” Shinsuke's voice rang through my ears as I pried my eyes open in time to see him move at a speed unheard of.

Shinsuke was suddenly behind Wyatt in a sneak attack. He pulled the dagger from Wyatt's iron grip and stabbed it through his back, straight into his heart. My eyes got wide as I processed what I was seeing and hearing.

Wyatt's lifeless body fell to the ground in front of Shinsuke as he smiled at Finn in a friendly way. My chest felt full as I realized that Wyatt was dead and the three of us had survived. 

The feeling of happiness suddenly turned to a numb memory as Shinsuke slowly spoke again, though. “I am sorry friend, but this is where we end things.”

I watched as Finn tensed at Shinsuke's words, but he didn't speak. Instead, he only watched the god of death for an explanation.

“I need...you.” Shinsuke pointed his slender finger in my direction as he held the dagger close to his chest. “The demon I answer to would like to see Balor's soul in you. All of it.”

My breath caught as I figured out what Shinsuke must have meant.

Finn quietly spoke then, almost pleading with the shinigami. “Shinsuke, don't do this.”

I tried to move to a standing position so I could defend myself if Shinsuke tried to attack, but my legs felt like jelly and would barely hold me up. I wrapped my arms around the tree trunk for support, but wasn't sure how long I would be able to stay upright.

“I have to, Finn.” That was the last words I heard Shinsuke say before he launched himself toward Finn, the dagger outstretched in his long arm. He was going to kill Finn so that Balor would move into my body.

Without thinking, I let my body move on its own. I could have sworn I heard a laugh in my head as I moved faster than what I should have been able to, coming between Shinsuke and Finn.

_Remember our deal. This battle is over. I'm collecting._

I felt a sharp, searing pain stab through my chest as I sucked in oxygen, trying to fill my lungs.

“Aislin!” I heard Finn yell as I felt my body fall to the ground.

I looked up in time to see Shinsuke surrounded by a bright white light before he disappeared, the dagger still in his possession.

“What did you do?” Finn was frantic as he dropped to his knees at my side, pulling my body close to his. He placed one hand on my face as his eyes searched mine for something he obviously couldn't find.

I looked up into that blue gaze as clear as crystals and I tried my best to smile at him. I didn't like the way water was filling his eyes.

“Finn,” I choked out, realizing that my mouth was starting to fill with blood. “It's okay. I owed you my life, and I'm not upset about returning the favor.” It was getting harder and harder for me to speak. My throat was burning as if it were the fire I'd seen on Finn's arms earlier—the fire that had been on my own arms.

“No, no, no,” Finn started mumbling, shaking his head back and forth. “Not like this.”

_Yes, just like this. We had a deal. Both of you knew this would be the result._

“A deal?” I heard Finn's shaking voice ask as I realized Balor must be talking to both of us.

_She told me that if I let you have control through that fight, I could collect on the debt._

“How could you make a deal with her?” Finn's unbelieving voice said as he cradled me closer to his bare chest with his strong arms. I was thankful for his warmth because my body was starting to feel like ice as it became numb once again.

_I've been talking to her since..._

The demon's voice slowly lifted from my thoughts and I was unable to hear anymore of the conversation. I was glad for that, though. I didn't want to hear his rough voice anymore. I only wanted to hear Finn's whispers.

“Aislin, there were other ways.” Finn was quiet as he spoke softly to me. “I should have been strong enough to do that on my own. I'm so sorry for getting you involved in this, love.”

I slowly tried to shake my head at him, trying to get him to understand that he didn't need to be sorry. He hadn't gotten me involved in anything. The blame for that was on Wyatt and Cass. By the time I met Finn, I was already unknowingly neck deep in this war.

I felt as though I was getting sleepy. My body had gone completely numb. I needed to tell Finn one last thing, though.

“Please... remember I love you.”

The only thing I remembered hearing was the wind rushing in my ears and what sounded like a crow caw. I couldn't stay awake to hear a response from Finn. It was too hard to keep my eyes open, and I didn't want to see the tears running down his face anyway. I wanted to see him happy instead, so I imagined the bright smile I'd remembered him wearing the few times we had gotten to be happy together, and I let myself slip into the darkness.


	23. Chapter 23

_**Finn** _

“Aislin! No! Wake up, love!” Finn yelled his grief, gripping the girl's small frame close to his own as tears streamed down his face. She was limp and covered in her own blood, the warm liquid turning cold in the chill of the night. Her last words echoed through Finn's mind as he let himself release a loud roar.

He couldn't remember the last time he'd cried like this, but he knew it had been a while. Finn leaned his forehead down to Aislin's still warm face, listening for the faint sound of a heartbeat. He was devastated when he heard nothing but silence coming from her chest.

In the end, Aislin had taken out just as many demons as Finn had, with the help of Balor. Finn had told Aislin that she didn't have to worry about Balor being able to talk to her; he had told her that she wouldn't even notice him there. What he hadn't taken into account, however, was her magic. It had somehow made Balor strong enough to take over her body. 

Thinking back to Aislin with the red glowing eyes, he now understood why she had gotten so frightened the first time she'd seen Finn's eyes like that in her living room. When he had realized what was going on, the fear that had gripped his heart was almost too much to bear. Finn hadn't been terrified of Aislin herself, but of the fact that Balor had her. He was worried for her, not wanting her to have to experience the demon first hand. Looking down to her body now, he was obviously right to fear the demon's ability to control her.

Suddenly, Finn saw a red glow form around Aislin's still throat. He watched as the glow compressed itself into a small ball, then quickly shot into Finn's own chest. He felt a familiar power surge through his body as the energy spread through him.

_Finally._

The slow word was spoken with such contentment inside of Finn's mind that it almost sent him into a rage. 

Balor was back, his soul once more complete. Fury overtook the Irishman as his eyes flared red and his hair stood on end. This was all the demon's fault, he thought as he cursed himself. He should have tried harder to get her to stay home, and he should have fought harder to protect her. If it weren't for the damn demon needing his soul to be complete, she would still be there, breathing. Just when Finn had thought that they were all going to make it out alive, the worst had happened.

Finn had to fight the urge to let the demon inside of him take control of his shaking body. Balor had started fighting Finn's will power the moment he was whole again, knowing that Finn was probably too distracted to focus all of his energy on fighting off the Demon King. He was sure that Balor would just go on a killing spree, and that was the last thing Aislin would have wanted to happen. Full control wasn't what she'd seen or what she'd experienced herself. Finn was always still in his own mind the few times Balor had gained control of his movements while she was around, still seeing through his own eyes even if he couldn't force himself to move the way he wanted. Allowing Balor full control would mean total darkness, along with the transformation of his body. That had only happened once—the night Finn had first met Balor.

Finn needed to get out of this place. He didn't want to be around the battlefield any longer. He needed room to breathe and isolate himself from everyone. He wasn't sure he'd ever be able to trust another living being again after what had transpired, so he needed to stay alone. He thought it was what he deserved.

He had to take care of the mess in the forest first, though, his reasonable mind suddenly chimed in. 

Still holding Aislin with one arm, Finn placed his other hand to the ground. He didn't spare a glance for the other demon corpses lying around the field. Instead, he moved his lips down to Aislin's white cheek and placed a small kiss there. He then closed his crimson eyes as a blinding light started forming around his palm, spreading to the ground. He was ready to lay her to rest.

_Goodbye, little healer._

“Move.” Finn jerked his head up to the familiar voice, letting the light disappear from his hand as he eyed the wounded hellhound standing in front of him suspiciously.

“I thought you were dead,” Finn growled, wiping the tears from his own face with the back of his hand quickly. 

As Finn glanced behind Roman, he realized that the other two hounds were also barely standing quietly behind him. They were leaning against each other to stay on their feet, Seth looking worse for wear than Dean was.

Aislin had used all of her healing powers to save Roman, thinking she'd failed. Finn himself had thought she'd failed when he couldn't hear his heart beating after her attempts. Roman was the reason why she had no strength left of her own. If she had been left with the small amount of magic that she'd forced into Roman as Finn had pulled her away, he was sure she could have stopped Balor from moving her body into the line of Shinsuke's attack.

Once again, a madness made Finn see red as he thought about how this man had betrayed Aislin. He wasn't sure how she found the strength to forgive him, but she had. Finn didn't know if he could ever have that kind of forgiveness inside of him. 

The muscles in Finn's body tensed, ready for another fight. He couldn't take out all three of the demons in his current state, even if they were just as injured as he was, but he was going to try. The men before him surprised Finn, though. They didn't advance on him, but stood completely still as Roman knelt down to him and Aislin's body.

“I was. She saved me. Now I owe her a life debt. I just hoped I'd have a few more years before she needed to collect.” Roman smiled down fondly at Aislin's still body as Finn tightened his grip around her, a defensive growl coming from his chest. 

Roman noticed the demon rising in Finn, and spoke quickly. “I have to do this fast, before it's too late. She gave me too much of her own magic when she thought I had died. I would have died if it weren't for her; but now she needs her magic back, so that's what I'm going to give her.” Roman set his hard glare at Finn then, giving one command. “Now move.”

Roman's words sank through to Finn's reasoning skills. The hellhound thought he could save her, so Finn was going to let him try. He gently placed her still body on the ground in between them before pulling his jacket from over her chest, revealing the blood pouring from the wound.

Finn winced at the sight as tears once again started slipping past his eyes. Roman took on a determined expression as he placed his large palm over the hole in her chest, concentrating on restoring her life. A blue glow started forming around his hand, slowly taking Aislin's whole body into it as Finn stayed close to them. His gaze continually flicked back and forth between Aislin and the other two demons still standing behind Roman. He wasn't sure that they wouldn't attack him as soon as Roman had done what he felt he needed to do, but he was hoping that wouldn't be the case.

The anger welling up inside of Finn slowly dissipated as he watched Roman pour Aislin's power back into her. He pushed the demon deep down into the depths of his mind, not wanting to let Balor have any influence and ruin what could possibly save her life. Once his head was clear again, he could think straight.

“Roman,” Finn started quietly, looking into the eyes of the man who'd not only betrayed the girl's trust, but also won it back, “Thank you.”

“I don't need your gratitude, Finn. I'm not doing this for you, but for her. I love her, too. Even if she hadn't saved me, I'd still give my life for her. She is too young to die, especially because of getting caught up in our bull shit,” Roman replied, still concentrated on the energy flowing through him. “I just wish I could have met her before we got so far into the war. She could have changed everyone's views on you.”

Finn stayed quiet as he watched the blue light continue to grow around Aislin's body. Roman's breathing became labored as he moved his other hand to lay on top of the one already on Aislin's chest. His body started shaking with the effort he was using to accomplish his task.

The other two hellhounds knelt down beside Roman then, placing their hands on his shoulders to steady him. They knew what was going to happen when Roman used the last of his power to bring Aislin back, but they were still trying their hardest to respect his wishes and help him return the favor he owed her.

“I do have one request,” Roman said through his struggling breaths.

“Anything.” If this worked to save Aislin's life, Finn would gladly honor Roman's last wish, whatever it may be.

“If this works, make sure to get rid of my body before she wakes up. I don't want her seeing it. She doesn't need to see any of this carnage when she awakens.” 

Roman was starting to sway back and forth on his knee, despite his brothers helping to steady him. Sweat beaded down his forehead as his hair fell into his face. His dark skin had become a few shades paler as he focused harder on the energy. Roman's eyes flared the rustic brown color, brighter than even Finn had ever seen, as he pushed all the spirit he had left into Aislin's body.

“Of course,” Finn whispered, watching Aislin's form for any sign of movement.

Roman collapsed against Dean after he heard Finn's words, his palms no longer glowing. Dean wrapped his arms around his brother, then easily laid his body to the ground beside Aislin's. Finn used his demon's hearing to once again check for a heart beat. He heard four pulses still beating in the clearing.

Finn let out a long sigh as he placed both hands on the ground beside Aislin, calling to the powers of the earth to take the dead bodies from the battlefield. Light sprang from the ground and engulfed Roman's form. Before his body was gone, the two remaining hellhounds changed form, turning into the giant dogs with glowing brown and blue eyes. They let out loud, wailing howls as the light shone brighter still.

The clearing was blinding as Finn sent each corpse back to the earth in the glow of his magic. Before the light had completely dimmed, Finn heard Aislin take a deep breath, gasping as her body convulsed, recalling the breathing reflex. He looked over in time to see her slowly open her eyes just as the shining brilliance of the corpses went out all together, leaving them alone in the clearing with the two giant hellhounds.


	24. Chapter 24

_**Aislin** _

My body began trembling as I greedily sucked in the air around me, keeping my eyes closed tight. Breathe, I told myself when I realized my lungs were once again working. I turned my head on the ground and started coughing, blood flowing from my mouth as I choked it up from my throat.

I had remembered falling asleep, but the dream that followed seemed so real. I was floating over my body, watching as Roman and his two pack-mates unsteadily walked up to Finn, who was holding me while he cried. I was elated when I thought that my magic must have worked on Roman, but the happiness was short lived as I remembered it was only a dream. 

I had never seen Finn shed tears like the ones falling from his eyes in the illusion, and I couldn't figure out what had brought that out of him. Finn had started to clean up the bodies lying around the clearing, but Roman caught his attention before he could begin.

Finn's eyes flared back and forth between the shimmering blue color and the crimson red color of Balor as he talked to Roman. I couldn't hear what they had said, but I saw Roman kneel down to my unmoving body and create a glowing light around it. Before I knew it, my dream body had felt like it was being pulled toward the version of me lying on the ground in between Finn and Roman.

As my hovering form floated closer to my grounded body, I noticed that Roman was suddenly beside me, passing me by. He turned to face me, his long hair flying away from his face as he lit a heartfelt smile in my direction. 

_Take care of them. All of them. They're fiercely loyal. Take care of yourself, too, Ai. Until next time..._

I returned Roman's smile as his voice filled my thoughts. I felt a sense of comfort at his words, but I didn't have time to respond. Before I knew it, my ethereal body was being pulled even harder toward my solid one.

When I opened my eyes, a blazing light that was slowly fading away blinded my field of vision. Before I had time to think, Finn was wrapping me in his strong arms, holding me against his pale, bare chest with such urgency as I heard him whisper to me. I couldn't make out his words, but I could feel his heavy breathing grazing the top of my head as I moved my arms up around his neck, reaching desperately for something to keep me grounded as memories flooded my mind. Pain erupted in my chest at my movements, but I ignored it, instead focusing on the solid body pulling me closer still to him. 

I was alive. I had been stabbed through the heart, but I was somehow alive. Tears rolled down my cheeks as I rested my head in the crook of Finn's neck and continued taking ragged breaths. We sat like that until I got my composure, finally able to breathe without overbearing pain. 

Still holding onto Finn, I lifted my head in an attempt to look around. Finn placed his soft touch on the back of my head, running his long fingers through my hair in a comforting motion. He was trying to keep me still, but I needed to see who was left.

“Try not to move too much, love.” I could finally understand what Finn was saying to me when his voice got the slightest bit louder.

“Where is he?” My throat felt like sandpaper as I coughed again, removing more of the blood that had gathered there. 

I forced myself to look up into Finn's puffy eyes. He was bruised and beaten, his skin missing chunks here and there. Blood was smeared all over his body, but he was still sitting up.

“Shinsuke is gone,” Finn told me softly, assuming that was who I was talking about.

I slowly shook my head, trying to get him to understand with as few words as possible. It was hurting me to speak. “Roman.”

I knew I hadn't saved Roman, but I thought that maybe now I could try again. Now that the battlefield was quiet, I could concentrate on what I was doing. It was a last ditch effort, but I wanted to try it.

Finn glanced behind me for a split second before he moved his sympathetic gaze back to my face. He opened his mouth to speak, but shut it again when the words wouldn't come out.

“Roman's gone.” I heard an unfamiliar voice answer quietly at my back.

Finn lowered his hands to wrap them around my back again, and I was finally able to turn my head. The two hellhounds came into view, taking me by surprise. The one who had spoken to me—Dean, if I remembered right—was kneeling on the ground, sapphire blue eyes watching me for a reaction.

Beside him, I saw Seth, the man who'd dragged me to Wyatt and bit into my arm and leg, then almost killed me before Balor took control. He was sitting on his knees, dark gaze turned to the ground, his long hair a tangled mess around his face. My breath caught when I saw him, fear overriding my other emotions.

He looked up to me and spoke in a barely audible voice. “Roman's gone, and it's all because of you.”

Upon hearing his words, I rapidly moved my tear filled eyes back to Finn. I felt desperation, needing someone to understand that I had tried my hardest to save Roman. I had given everything I had to bring him back from the edge of death. Seth apparently didn't think I'd tried hard enough.

Finn had felt the threat in Seth's voice just the same as I had, and he was staring down the longer haired hellhound. His eyes were beginning to glow red again as I felt a rumble start to form in his chest.

“Be warned, I have strength left. Balor is whole again, and I _will_ use him.”

_Balor is whole again._ My mind took in Finn's words, letting the realization fall over me that I was once again alone in my body. But how, I wondered. I wasn't dead, and, according to Shinsuke, that was the only way Finn could have gotten Balor back.

At Finn's growled words, Dean inserted himself into the conversation, speaking to Seth. “Whoa, brother. No one is to blame. That was Roman's decision. She saved him first, remember, Seth? He said that was what he wanted to do. He said his goodbyes to us. Remember what he told us.” 

The other hound just glared at Dean in response.

I was confused then. If my power hadn't worked to save Roman, what did Dean mean by “she saved him first”?

I decided to backtrack in the conversation. After taking a deep breath to prepare my sore throat for the words, I asked, “What happened to Roman?”

Finn swept his icy blue eyes down to me and kept his voice low. “Your magic worked, and you saved him.”

“But when he saw you get stabbed,” Dean said from behind me, “he gave you all that magic back. He gave you your power, plus what was left in him.”

“He sacrificed himself to bring you back from the dead.” Seth's words were still harsh, and they hurt for me to hear.

“Back from the dead...” I trailed off as I thought of Roman passing my floating body. A shiver went down my spine and Finn wrapped his leather jacket tighter around me, covering the stab wound in my chest.

“Aislin,” Finn brought my attention back to him, “you were dead. You had no pulse. As much as I disliked him, Roman did save you.”

His words almost left me feeling angry. I had given Roman everything so he could live, not so he could just give it right back. The heat of anger was short-lived, though, as gratitude and a deep sadness took its place—along with an odd emptiness that wasn't entirely because of the fact that I had lost my best friend.

“That's why he's gone?” I asked in a whisper, still facing Finn.

“That's why Roman's gone.” Finn once again didn't understand who I was talking about as he closed his eyes on a sigh.

“No. Balor.” 

At my words, Finn's eyes snapped back open and flamed crimson before he quickly doused the fire to return them to the bright blue color. Balor obviously wanted to show me that he wasn't gone completely. He was just gone from me.

Before Finn could answer, Dean was talking. “Wait, wait, wait. What are you two talking about? 'Balor is whole again,' and Balor's gone? When wasn't he whole? Shinsuke didn't stab him with that knife, so he sure as Hell ain't gone. Your eyes are proof of that.” Dean motioned to Finn then, pointing out that Finn couldn't keep his eyes from changing every time something upset him.

Finn kept his jaw clenched, obviously upset that the secret was out. I wasn't sure that it mattered anymore, though, because the Demon King was once again fully inside of Finn.

I turned to see the two hellhounds eyeing Finn suspiciously.

“Dean...” It appeared as though a light bulb went off in Seth's head as he slowly turned an amazed stare to his friend, “I'll be damned. Were you right?”

“Well, I don't know.” Dean pointed an almost amused expression at Finn then, a smirk forming on his lips. “Was I?”

Finn remained quiet as I noticed his eyes continuously waver between red and blue with every deep breath he took. I felt a quake rumble through his body as he fought the urge to attack the hellhounds.

“Look,” Seth said as he sighed deeply and turned his light brown gaze to me, deciding to ignore Finn, “I know you don't trust us—you have no obligation to—but Roman told us what you said. Your words affected him. All day, he was trying to get us to just back out of this fight. He kept telling us that the human was just an innocent bystander and Balor hadn't actually been a problem in a hundred years. But when Wyatt sent out the call, we had no choice but to show up. We've got higher powers to answer to as well.”

Dean interrupted then, also speaking to me. “We weren't convinced about what Roman was trying to tell us until everything went down. Even though Balor had the chance, he didn't actually kill Elias. Breaking a werewolf's neck won't kill it, and he obviously knew that. Shinsuke killed Elias later on.”

Seth continued for Dean. “You're lucky, though. This wasn't the first time we had met Shinsuke. We know who that shinigami is working for.”

“And this guy won't be a walk in the park to defeat. You're going to need our help. Roman wanted us to help you if we could, because we think both of you are in danger here.” Dean finished their joint thought process as he moved his dark blue eyes up to Finn.

“Both of us?” The stinging pain in my throat made my words almost inaudible, but I was sure Finn heard them when he met my worried gaze, eyes crystal blue once more.

“I'm leaving this decision up to you.” Finn's words were quiet, as though he were trying to keep our conversation private from the hellhounds. “Do you want to trust them?”

I wasn't sure why Finn was letting me make this call. I seemed to have a bad track-record with trusting demons. Cass had just been using me, and Roman had started out that way. Though, in his defense, Roman had actually proved his trustworthiness when it came time for him to kill me. 

I attempted to put aside the fact that Seth had almost finished me off. Thinking clearly, I realized that having them on our side would help us both in the long run. I was almost certain Finn could take on Shinsuke by himself, but if there was another demon who was even stronger, we'd need all the help we could get. 

I gave Finn my verdict. “They're fiercely loyal. I think we can trust them.”

My words struck a chord in my own chest as I remembered where I had heard them. That was what Roman had told me before I woke up. I was beginning to wonder if that wasn't a dream after all. If I had actually died, then who's to say that wasn't my real soul seeing Roman off?

Finn let out a sigh and started to stand up, still holding me in his arms. Against his wishes, I wiggled out of his hold. I was slowly starting to feel better, even though I needed a drink and a nice nap. The pain in my body was starting to fade, but I wasn't sure why. I had been completely out of my healing magic after I had forced it all into Roman.

Finn gave me a worried once over as he made sure I could stand up on my own. The two hellhounds helped each other to their feet, standing in front of us then.

Finn turned a wary gaze to the two taller demons. “Give us tonight to rest. If you think it can wait, we can meet somewhere tomorrow and you can tell us everything you know.”

Seth had an answer ready for Finn. “Be at Roman's house tomorrow night at nine. I know she knows where it is.”

When he finished speaking, Seth disappeared, just as Roman had done before. Dean quickly followed suit, leaving me and Finn alone in the empty battlefield as a gust of cold wind whipped around us.


	25. Chapter 25

“Don't you want to figure out what they're talking about now?” I asked Finn as I pulled his jacket tighter around me to help against the chill in the air.

“Not tonight. We've been through enough tonight.” Finn wrapped his arms around my shoulders in a hug as I laid my head against his warm skin, scanning my eyes around the tree line in my view of the forest.

“Finn, how are we even getting home? Shinsuke brought us here and I have no idea exactly where we are.” I let out a slight chuckle at my realization as I lifted my head from him. I knew it wasn't funny, but that was my nervous reaction. In reality, I wanted to get away from that place as soon as we could.

Finn gave a thoughtful look for a moment as he placed his hand up to stroke his blood covered beard.

“I'm not sure if this will work, but hold on tight.” He moved his grip to around my waist as I placed my arms around his neck.

I realized what was happening as I noticed the smoke form around us. I let out a small gasp, watching Finn's eyes and skin start to change color as the smoke rose upward around us. Even though his body was slowly starting to vaporize, I still felt Finn's tight muscles under my hands. My own body began to feel light, but I didn't look down to check if I was still solid. I felt myself get dizzy and forced my eyes close to help with the lightheaded feeling.

“This will take a little longer than how Shinsuke did it, but it'll still be faster than walking.” Finn's voice was a whisper in my ear as I felt us start to move.

My body was once again floating, but it didn't feel like we were going very fast. I was sure that we had both turned into the mist that I'd seen in my living room the day Finn had materialized behind Roman, but I didn't want to open my eyes to see; I was worried that I'd get nervous and release my firm grasp on him. I was amazed by the fact that I could still feel his body even though he definitely wasn't solid.

While we were moving, I suddenly heard a familiar voice through the fog in my mind.

_So you survived. You're stronger than I gave you credit for. I'm impressed._

The demon's voice didn't hold the presence that it had when he was actually inside me, but he was still somehow in my head. I found myself feeling almost proud that I had actually impressed the Demon King, though. It was such a silly emotion, but it made me almost happy. I caught myself and shook my head, holding tighter to Finn. 

“You hear him?” Finn whispered as he tensed under my hands.

I made a _mhm_ noise as I pressed my forehead against Finn's shoulder, eyes still tightly closed.

_Of course she can. She's wrapped up in my magic right now._

Finn made a small growling noise, but didn't speak again.

_Easy, boy. I don't want to hurt her anymore. She paid her debt._

His words shocked me. I hadn't even thought about the deal since Balor had made me jump in front of that dagger. I just assumed in the back of my mind that since I wasn't still dead, he would still want to kill me.

I ignored the demon and focused instead on keeping myself from getting too nauseous. My body wasn't used to this magic transportation, and this was the second time in one night that I had been subjected to it. The experience only last a couple of minutes, but my body felt like it had been floating for hours by the time we got home. I felt myself start to regain the heavy feeling I was used to, and the vertigo slowly lifted.

“You can open your eyes now, darlin'.” Finn let out a small, tired laugh as he loosened his grip around my waist, not removing his hands completely.

I forced my eye lids to come up slowly and realized we were back in the living room of my apartment. In the bright light that I had accidentally left on when we left before, I could see Finn more clearly. The cuts all over his body were still slowly seeping blood, and he had bruises all over his chest and arms. The blood that wasn't fresh was beginning to dry on his skin, leaving streaks all over his face. Thanks to the two ghouls who'd attacked him while he was wrapped in the viper, there were teeth marks in his left shoulder and a chunk of skin missing from his right shoulder.

“You should go get yourself cleaned up,” I told him as I stepped out of his embrace. 

He looked down at himself then and grimaced as he pointed a finger to his blood painted chest. “Some of this here is yours.” He glanced over to my chest, right above where my heart was.

I looked down at myself and realized that there was a rip in my shirt over my chest where the knife had been. Blood covered the shirt, soaking it through. There was also blood on the front of Finn's jacket that I was still wearing, and on the burned sleeves of the jacket. I was pretty sure what was on the sleeves was the demon's blood from when Balor was using me, though. The burned ends had happened when Balor cleaned my hands for me with the flames.

With as much blood as I had on my shirt, I was pleasantly surprised when I realized that the pain in my chest had almost completely gone away, along with the pain in my arm and leg. My body was working to heal itself, so I must have already been regaining some of my magic, I thought to myself.

“Sorry about your jacket.” I held up my hands so that Finn could see the singed sleeves as I almost ducked my head in embarrassment. “I guess this is why you normally take it off to fight, right?”

He sent a smile in my direction as he spoke. “You don't have to be sorry, Aislin. I'm the one who put it on you.”

I slipped the jacket off of my shoulders and shrugged it down my arms. After stepping into the kitchen, I draped it over the back of one of the chairs there.

“How about we both go take a shower before bed?” Finn suggested as he started walking toward the bathroom.

I stumbled over my words as I stood still, dumbfounded with his suggestion. “I don't know that either of us are in any shape to be... um... taking a shower together.”

He looked over his shoulder at me and smiled. “I really did just mean take a shower, though. We'll get blood all over the place if one of us has to wait.”

My logical mind realized that what he was saying was true, so I started moving in his direction. He took my hand as we both stepped into my bathroom. I started the water in the tub, letting it warm up as we removed the blood stained clothes.

“How are you feeling?” Finn eyed me as I pulled my long sleeved shirt over my head and dumped it into the trash can where it joined my jacket from a couple of nights ago.

“I'm actually feeling much better now. I'm really sore still, but it's not as bad as it was.” I looked down to the blood covered skin above my bra. There was still a gash there, but it had stopped bleeding already, a huge scab forming over the wound. The teeth marks in my arm were small red circles now. Finn's leather jacket had protected my arm from obtaining more damage than it had. “I'm sure you're feeling worse than I am.”

He gave me a small smile as he unbuckled his belt and answered. “I'll be a lot better by tomorrow. That's one good thing about having an immortal body. It heals pretty quickly, but not as fast as yours.”

When he removed his dark jeans, I noticed his legs were also covered in bruises and blood. The demons hadn't left an inch of Finn's skin untouched, and I felt a deep sympathy rise within me.

“What about your leg? Is it already healing?” He took my attention from his body with the question.

I bent to slide my jeans down my legs, gently pulling the blood stained fabric from the bite mark that Seth had inflicted on me. I noticed that the hellhound bite was also healing very quickly; each tooth mark had already started to turn into a puffy scar around my calf. I had never unintentionally healed a wound this quickly, so I was amazed at my own body for taking care of it for me. If I had enough energy to heal myself this fast, maybe I could help Finn, too, I thought as I threw the jeans into my now full trash can.

After we had decided which clothes we may have been able to salvage and which ones were garbage, I turned the shower head on and we stepped into the steaming water. The downpour of heat felt amazing on my sore muscles, but I quickly cleaned myself off and moved away from the streaming shower head so that Finn could wash the blood off of himself. When he stepped under the water, it looked like I had committed a murder in my tub as the blood ran from his body and down the drain.

I watched as Finn turned his back to me and scrubbed himself with a wash cloth I had grabbed from the drawer under the sink. He was gently going over each wound that was still open, trying not to cause more pain to himself.

“Can I try something?” I asked as I placed my wet hands on his back, the hot water once again hitting me.

He tensed at my touch, but didn't refuse my attempt to help. I didn't give him time to say anything before I started trying to pour my magic into him. I felt the prickling sensation once again as I focused on making the energy move from my body to Finn's. I held my gaze on the missing piece of skin from Finn's shoulder as I concentrated on healing that first.

Slowly, I saw the wound close and come together, new skin forming where the old had been bitten away. I decided to try for closing all of the rest of the smaller cuts and scrapes at the same time then as I pushed more power through my hands. I noticed that my hands had started glowing a light purple color at the surge in magic I was sending him—something they had never done before.

At the increase, the muscles in Finn's back relaxed as he let out a low moan and tilted his head back to the ceiling, pressing one hand against the wall of the shower for support. The sound sent shock waves through my stomach, but I was too worried about healing the man in front of me to think about what my own body was feeling. I was overjoyed when I noticed all of the wounds had started closing, the bleeding completely stopped.

“Wait,” I heard him whisper to me as he turned his head down, taking deep breaths of air as the water fell onto his back and my arms. I almost couldn't understand his next words, but I wasn't sure if it was because of the running water messing with my hearing or the fact that his Irish accent had suddenly gotten harsher. “You can't use all your magic on me, love. I'll heal on my own. I'm more worried about you getting better.”

When I didn't stop trying to heal him completely, Finn turned around to face me, taking my left wrist in his hand gently. His movements broke my concentration, stopping me from healing him any further. The bright glow slowly vanished from around my hands as I stared into his deep blue eyes.

He licked his lips and quickly released my wrist with a shake of his head. “Are you still okay?”

The last time I had exerted that much of my magic, it had left me dizzy and unable to walk on my own. Finn had to carry me away from Roman when I had released that much to heal someone. This time, though, I still felt normal. I hadn't gotten the blurry vision or the lightheaded feeling, and I still felt like I had magic to spare.

“I feel fine,” I assured him, not lying this time. “I still feel like I have more magic in me, too. Did you see my hands glowing?”

Finn's brows scrunched together as he thought of why I suddenly had more power than I did before. I had assumed that since Balor was gone, my healing would be effected negatively, but apparently I was wrong.

Finally, his face relaxed. “I saw that, and I have an idea of why you suddenly have more of your magic; but before I explain, are you sure you feel fine?”

“Positive. I feel better now than I did before we got in here,” I answered him truthfully. 

The swirling magic inside my body when I had called up extra to help Finn had actually helped to speed up my own healing as well. I looked down to the stab wound in my chest and realized that it was nothing more than a scar on my freckled skin after I had released that much strength.

“Good, because that last blast of magic made it even harder to control myself, and I want nothing more than to give in.” Before I had time to speak, Finn's lips were on mine with a need that I had never felt from him before.

I immediately returned the kiss as my pulse quickened, moving both of my hands to the back of his neck to pull him closer as the warm water beat down on us. Without breaking contact, he placed one hand at the back of my head and the other at the small of my back as he turned me against the long wall of the shower. He pressed his body closer to mine, his hard muscles turning my stomach inside out. The energy that had been flowing through me had every nerve ending feeling extra sensitive. Every time our skin touched, it felt like I was going to burst open.

He trailed his kisses down to my neck after he'd gotten his fill of my lips, nipping the skin there as he took in my sounds of pleasure. My skin started tingling when he slid his hand from my back down to my bottom, firmly cupping it to pull me against his hardened member. I let out a gasp as I felt my body prepare for him, heat rising from every inch of my skin.

Finn stopped his exploration of my neck to look down into my eyes, speaking through ragged breaths as he kept me in place against him and smirked in my direction. “Tell me... do you want me to explain your power increase right now?”

I took a deep breath of my own, meeting his gaze with my own sly smile. “I think it can wait until the water gets cold.”

A sound that almost mimicked a cat's purr escaped his throat at my answer. He quickly flipped me around to pull my back against him. He took a step away from me and grabbed my hips, pulling them closer to his own.

An hour later, the water finally ran cold.


	26. Raising Hell

I woke up to the warm sun shining through my bedroom window and the sound of soft snoring beside me. When I opened my tired eyes, I was met with Finn's peaceful face, still fast asleep. After our shower, we had both collapsed on the bed in a tangle of limbs. Everything that had happened the night before had us exhausted, so a much needed dreamless sleep came easily and quickly.

Not wanting to wake Finn, I slowly crawled to the foot of the bed and tried to stand up as quietly as possible. Looking at the small alarm clock on my bedside table, I realized it was a little after ten thirty in the morning. I tiptoed to my drawers and retrieved a bra and panties, then made my way to my closet, pulling out a clean pair of black jeans.

“Good morning.” 

My heart beat jumped to my throat and I almost fell over myself while pulling my pants on as Finn's sleep filled voice broke the silence in the room. He started laughing at my reaction, a sound that I was actually glad to be hearing amidst everything else going on in our lives. “I'm sorry. I didn't mean to scare you.” His apology was covered in laughs, so I was questioning the sincerity of it.

I hadn't heard him move, but as I quickly turned around in his direction, I saw him sitting up in the bed. My sheets were strewn across his lap as he raised one knee to rest his elbow on top of it. His bare chest was left exposed, and I noticed that he looked much better than he had the night before. There were still a few light scars scattered across his pale skin, but it was nothing compared to what it was before our shower.

“Good morning,” I told him after I calmed my pulse back down to a normal rhythm and fastened the button on my jeans.

Finn's laughter died down as he watched me. His clear blue eyes took on a focused gleam as he stared at the pink line on my chest where I'd been stabbed. “About your magic.”

“You kind of forgot to tell me your theory on that last night.” I smiled at him, realizing that we hadn't said a whole lot of actual words to each other after I had healed him in the shower. 

He moved his gaze back up to my eyes and sent a sly smile in my direction, but it quickly vanished before he spoke. “It's got to be Roman's doing.”

I could feel my eyebrows pull together as I gave him a questioning stare. “How, exactly?”

“Balor had awakened your magic, but then he continued to feed off of it in a cycle. He would use it to make himself stronger, but in turn, it would fuse your soul tighter with his and make your magic stronger.”

“So he was actually helping my healing abilities with his power, but he was stealing it right back so it seemed like they weren't getting any better?” I asked, making sure I was following his train of thought.

Finn tapped his finger against his temple before answering me. “That's what Balor said he was doing, so I have to believe that part. He said he'd been doing that the whole time, and that was how he was able to control you last night.”

“But how is that Roman's fault?” I questioned him as I turned to pull a shirt from its hanger in the closet. I wasn't sure how Roman fell into helping my magic grow since he had been on death's door himself when I used all of my power to save him.

Finn watched me as I pulled the red Raw polo shirt over my head and came to sit on the end of the bed at his feet, his eyes holding suspicion. He didn't mention my attire, though, and instead continued his thoughts. 

“When Balor left you, you no longer had him stealing your magic from you. That fact helped to increase your power. Then Roman brought you back and gave you all of the magic back that you had sent into him, along with the last of his own energy. That's probably what amped your abilities up. Roman's soul isn't in there pulling a give and take with your healing magic, so his energy just boosted yours. This is probably how your magic would have progressed on its own after it was awakened if it weren't for Balor continuously taking it in; except it grew a lot faster than normal thanks to Roman's extra energy helping out.”

“So if it weren't for _his_ soul,” I pointed my finger toward Finn's head, always careful not to say Balor's name around him since he had said he didn't like hearing it from me, “my magic wouldn't be awakened; but if he weren't in my body, it would have gotten stronger quicker when it did show up. And because he's gone, it went back to the level it should have been last night.” 

Finn nodded his head at me, letting me know that I understood correctly. 

At his movement, I continued. “But then Roman gave me a little extra boost and I'm actually stronger than I probably should be by this point?”

“Right. That's what I think happened. It's probably a good thing Shinsuke didn't kill me. Balor may have been unbeatable inside you,” he answered, once again eyeing my shirt with a question on his features. “Where do you think you're going?”

“I was getting ready for work.” I had originally planned on just calling out of work for the night, but I felt well rested and my rent still needed to be paid.

He gave me a confused expression then, tilting his head to the side like a puppy. “Why?”

“Because I have bills that need to be paid.” I sent him a smile as I stood up from the bed to fish a pair of socks out of my drawer.

“I meant,” Finn started as he straightened his head back out, “are you feeling well enough to go? I'm not even sure that it's a good idea. Shinsuke knows you work there. Plus, we're supposed to be meeting the hellhounds at nine tonight.”

I met his concerned gaze as I returned to my seat on the end of the bed and started sliding my socks on. “Finn, are you really going to ask me if I feel well enough to go to work? If I felt good enough for last night, then I'm definitely okay to wait tables.” I straightened back up on the bed and placed my hand over Finn's leg. “Besides, Shinsuke thinks he killed me, so why would he even come to Raw? I get off at nine tonight, too, so we'll still be able to go meet them. Roman's house isn't that far away from the bar.”

Finn looked defeated as I patted his leg and stood up, heading to the kitchen for something to eat. When I realized Finn wasn't following me, I poked my head back into the door way of my bedroom.

“Do you want anything for breakfast?” I asked him, wondering if he had planned on going back to sleep or something.

“Ah, no. Actually...” Finn looked down at himself with a grin and I noticed what the problem was.

“You don't have any clothes here.” I realized that his shirt had gotten burned away from his body during the fight, and his pants were covered in rips and blood. They had met with the trash can just like my own clothes had.

“Nope.” He chuckled at himself as he put one hand to the back of his head, his bright eyes crinkling with his smile.

I immediately started wondering if I had any clothes that might be acceptable for him to wear, but nothing came to mind. “Do you want me to run to your hotel room to grab your clothes?”

He held his grin in place as he moved his arm back down. “No, I can go get some the same way we got home last night. No one will see.”

That idea hadn't even crossed my mind, but a different one did. “Why don't you just bring all of your stuff over here? That way you won't have this problem again.”

“I like that idea,” he said as smoke started surrounding his body. “I'll be right back.”

I watched as he turned completely into the fog and speedily drifted out of the bedroom, through the living room, and under the front door. 

For the first time in three days, I was alone in my apartment for a little while. I walked into the kitchen to pour myself a bowl of cereal before work, sitting down at the small table to eat. I looked across the table and saw my phone on the other end. I assumed the battery was dead in it, but I grabbed it up anyway. To my surprise, it still had twenty percent of its battery life left.

I noticed that I had a missed call, along with a voice mail notification. My heart felt heavy as I realized the voice mail was from my mother. I brought the phone up to my ear to listen to it.

“Aislin, I know you're still not happy with me and Dad, but can you please call me when you get this? I haven't heard from you in a few days and I'm just worried. Love you.”

I had mixed emotions at my mom's words as I hung up the phone and laid it back on the table. If she were so worried, why hadn't she told me about everything to begin with? I was pretty sure I would have decided to stay closer to them if I had known that Cass was an ogre who wanted to get me involved in some war.

At the same time, though, I could see why she didn't tell me anything. I probably wouldn't have believed her at that point. She thought she was keeping me safe by not telling me, but in reality she probably did more harm than good at keeping the secret.

I hesitated, then picked my phone back up and dialed her number, listening for the ringing sound.

“Aislin!” My mother's cheery voice sounded over the speaker as she answered the phone.

“Hi, Mom.” I tried to keep my tone normal, reminding myself that she had no idea how much I knew about everything. I didn't want to let her in on the fact that I was mixed up in Balor's problems, either. Now we were both keeping secrets from each other.

“Are you okay? I was getting worried when you hadn't called. Are you ready to come on home now?” Her words seemed genuine, but they riled up my stubborn streak.

“I'm fine. I've just been real busy with work and stuff. I'm actually making friends here now, and I'm staying. How are you doing?” My attention was caught then by the smoke coming into my kitchen. It had only been five minutes since Finn had left, but I watched as he materialized beside me wearing clean jeans and a black, long sleeved, button up shirt. He had a small duffel bag in his hand, which I assumed held the rest of his stuff. He realized that I was on the phone, so he kept quiet as he sat down beside me at the table.

My mother's voice fell a little at me telling her I wasn't coming back, and it almost made me feel bad. She tried to hide it, but I could tell that wasn't what she wanted me to say. “Oh, who are your friends? I remember you telling me about Roman. Is he still around?”

I began to wonder if she knew that Roman was a hellhound, but I didn't dare ask her. “Actually, Roman just recently... moved.” I didn't want to tell her that he had been in a horrible accident and died, because I knew that would be too suspicious—especially if she did know what he was. I didn't want her to know exactly how close to death I had been, and if she knew that Roman had died, she would jump to conclusions about me not being safe. The last thing I wanted was for her to freak out on me.

At my words, Finn glanced over to me with a questioning look on his face. I mouthed the word “mom” to him, and his mouth made a small “O” shape as he realized who I was talking to.

I changed the subject then, asking her how my dad and grandmother were doing. We talked for a few more minutes before I finally told her that I needed to leave for work. Before I hung up the phone, she acted as if she were going to say something, but she apparently decided against it. I almost wondered if she were going to tell me about what I was, but I doubted that.

After I was off the phone, I looked to Finn over my half eaten bowl of cereal. “Is that all you brought with you?” I motioned to the bag he had set on the table.

He glanced to his bag, then back to me. “It is. It's just my clothes. That's all I ever bring when I travel. Are you sure you want to go to work tonight?”

His sudden change in conversation almost took me by surprise. I stood up and disposed of the rest of my cereal, then placed the empty bowl into the sink. 

“Yes, I'm going. Like I said, I feel fine.” I was trying to reassure him, but he still looked worried. “I actually need to be leaving soon.”

Finn stood up with me then, looking me over. “Just please be careful. I'll be around.”

I hadn't realized that I was nervous about going back to the bar until his words made the nerves disappear. I was glad that he'd be close, though I really didn't think I would be in any danger since I was assumed dead by the enemy.

“I'm always careful,” I assured him as I tried my hardest to smile in his direction.

He gave me an incredulous look before returning my smile. “You realize that the last two nights you worked, you were attacked by demons, right? You even got attacked one night in between those two.”

I couldn't argue with him about that because he was right. “I won't go outside at all tonight, then,” I promised as I stepped closer to him and put my arms around his waist.

He wrapped his own arms around me, pulling me into a tight hug before softly kissing the top of my head.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And thus starts a new journey.  
> The title is a song by Bullet For My Valentine, and I think the lyrics really fit this next part.  
> I get a lot of my inspiration from music. <3
> 
> "Everyday it seems I'm running from the reaper,  
> Kicking and screaming, and going down swinging.  
> Without my soul, you're a gun without a trigger,  
> Your fate is unfolding, who made you the king of the dead?
> 
> This is a war that can never be won  
> Let me go  
> I'll fight forever as the Heavens fall  
> I'm raising Hell."


	27. Chapter 27

After Finn and I had said goodbye, I threw my hair up into a pony tail and got in my Hyundai, headed for Raw. As soon as I walked in, Kurt eyed me and started walking my way, killing the great mood I had been in.

When he approached me, I noticed he looked more worried than anything. “Aislin, have you heard from Roman? He didn't come in last night and he's not answering anyone's calls now. Enzo is on his way in here just in case Roman doesn't show again, but I'd really like to know what's gotten into him. He's never even been late until recently when he came in with a black eye.”

My mind went blank. Lying to my mom about Roman over the phone was one thing, but trying to make a convincing story in person was a much harder task. I knew that if I told Kurt that Roman had moved, he'd ask where Roman had moved to and why he wasn't answering his phone. 

“Hey, are you the boss here?” I heard a familiar voice ask from behind me before I could say anything to Kurt.

I looked over my shoulder to see Seth walking toward me and Kurt. The red t-shirt he was wearing almost made it look like he worked there, but the yellow writing on it stood out like a sore thumb. He had his hands in the pockets of his beige colored jacket, and his long hair was up in a bun, much like how Roman always wore his hair at work to keep it from getting in the drinks. I was surprised that Seth was walking upright, even if he was limping, especially since he could barely stand the night before.

Kurt straightened up and attempted to find his professional voice. “I am, but we aren't open for another few minutes. I'm sorry, I'm going to have to ask you to wait outside.”

“I'm not a customer,” Seth explained as he moved his deep brown eyes down to me, then quickly back up to Kurt. The look he had given me almost seemed apologetic. “I'm actually Roman's younger brother.”

Kurt's expression changed back to his worried one from before after hearing Seth's words. “What's going on with him? Where is he?”

“Well, he's actually in the hospital back home in Florida.” Seth was lying through his teeth, but I was happy for it. That way, I wouldn't have to make up a story to feed Kurt.

“What's going on? Is he okay?” Kurt's eyes seemed almost frantic as he waited on Seth to answer.

“I'm sure Roman's never told you this since he works at a bar, but when he was a baby, he had to have a liver transplant because his started failing.” I watched Seth tell his made up story, amazed at how perfectly he was delivering it. “After he got off work two nights ago, he called me complaining of pain. He went to the emergency room that night, and they confirmed that even after thirty two years, his liver was failing again.” Seth stopped and almost started to tear up before wiping at his eyes with his hand, once again leaving me baffled at his acting skills. “I took the first plane I could to get here, and we transferred him back home to Florida. We're waiting to see if they can find another donor, but the chances aren't looking great. They've had him on sedatives ever since he got home. I just came back to get all of his stuff from his house and let everyone know what was going on.”

Kurt almost teared up himself after hearing Seth's tale. “Oh no, I'm so sorry. He was one of the best employees I've ever had. Is there anything I can do for him from here?”

“No, just keep him in your thoughts,” Seth said quietly as he turned his gaze down to the floor.

“Of course,” Kurt replied. “If there is anything you can think of that we can help with, you let us know. Let me give you my number so you can keep us updated.”

Kurt and Seth exchanged phone numbers, then Kurt left us so he could relay Seth's message to everyone else.

Once Kurt was out of hearing distance, Seth turned to me and began speaking in a low voice. “What are you doing here? I assumed that Balor would have you under lock and key since Shinsuke wants you.”

I had already fought this point with Finn, but I repeated myself to Seth. “Shinsuke thinks I'm dead, so I'm sure he wouldn't come here; and Finn said he'd be close by in case anything happened.” I put emphasis on Finn's name so that maybe Seth would use it instead of calling him Balor. “Anyway, Shinsuke knows exactly where I live. He hasn't gone there yet, so it's not like he's out looking for me or anything.”

“That explains why Balor was outside then.” Seth sighed and crossed his arms on his chest. “Just watch your back. We aren't sure who's working with Shinsuke. If you see someone you don't know, don't approach them.”

Seth's tone surprised me. It almost seemed like he was truly worried about me being at Raw instead of hiding out somewhere, but if Finn were outside watching the place then I knew I didn't have to worry about anything.

Before I could reply to him, Seth started talking again. “I have to go. I was just here to straighten this mess out. I didn't want that guy to issue a missing person report or anything. We don't need Roman's picture all over the news.”

“Right,” I mumbled as I looked over Seth to the front door of the bar. Customers were starting to walk in, so it was time for me to get to work. “Thanks, Seth.”

“For what?” he asked as he furrowed his brows together.

“For coming in when you did. Kurt had just asked me where Roman had been, and I was trying to decide if I should make up a story or just tell him I didn't know. So you saved me from having to make something up.”

“I guess you're welcome then,” he replied as he removed his arms from across his chest and turned to walk away. “I'll see you later.”

When he was gone, I decided it was time to get to work.

 

The night went by slowly as I anxiously watched the door every time someone walked in. I was relieved by the fact that it was a familiar face coming through the door each time it opened. I knew all the regular customers, and the bar wasn't that full on a Wednesday night. I almost expected Finn to come in, but he never did. 

Finally, nine o'clock rolled around and Nikki had come in, leaving me free to hit the time clock and leave. As I walked out the front door and to my car, I found myself wishing that I'd gotten a new coat before coming to work. The night air was getting colder each evening, and my arms felt frozen as I dug through my purse for my car keys. Once I was safely inside, I started the car and turned the heater up. A knocking sound on my passenger window sent my pulse into spasms as I almost jumped out of my seat, hitting my head on my own window in the process.

After I recovered from the scare, I realized it was Finn knocking on the glass. I leaned over to unlock the door for him, rubbing the back of my head with my other hand.

“You're really jumpy today, Aislin,” he pointed out with a smile as he got in and shut the door behind him.

“Can you blame me?” I questioned him as I put the car in reverse and started toward Roman's house.

“I guess not.” His smile disappeared as he watched me focus on the road. “What was Seth doing there earlier? I saw him go in before opening time, but he didn't stay long.”

“He actually came in to tell Kurt a story about where Roman had been,” I explained as I spared a glance at him. Finn seemed to get more and more tense the closer we got to Roman's house. “Is something wrong?”

He sighed and ran a hand over his beard before turning to me again. “I just hope this isn't some kind of trap. I hope your instincts to trust them are right.”

I didn't have an answer for him. I couldn't assure him that I was correct in wanting to trust the hounds because I couldn't even explain why I thought it was a good idea. I just knew that we needed help, and I got the feeling that they wouldn't turn on us.

I almost got us lost as I tried to remember exactly where Roman's house was. I had only ever been there once, and that was because Roman had given me a ride to work a few nights after I totaled my car. He had to go back to his house after he'd picked me up because he had forgotten his wallet there. I had just stayed in the car and waited on him since it wouldn't take long for him to run in and grab it. 

I had never seen the inside of it, but the outside of the one story house was all brick. There were a few tall trees in the front yard, all of which were bare in the fall night. The closest neighbors were at least half a mile away, but even though it seemed like it was in the middle of nowhere, it was only ten minutes from town. The carport held two vehicles, so when Finn and I pulled up and only saw Roman's car sitting under it, I parked beside of it.

I noticed the lights were on inside as Finn and I were piling out of the car. “They must be here already,” I told Finn as we walked up the sidewalk to the door. He was still being unusually quiet, a tension building in him that I wished I could ease.

“Are you okay with this?” I paused at the front door, not wanting to go in until I knew Finn was ready for whatever happened.

He looked down to me and forced a smile onto his lips. “I'm fine. I just want to know exactly what we're up against now.”

Before I could say anything to Finn, the heavy wooden door was immediately thrown open. Dean stood on the other side, wearing a black tank top and jeans. His exposed arms held deep cuts and gashes, all of which were from the battle the night before. He was giving an over exaggerated sigh of relief as he pushed his light brown hair out of his face, revealing a huge red mark sliced across his forehead.

“It's about time you two got here. You're fifteen minutes late!” he almost playfully scolded us as he stepped aside to let us into the warm house. Dean walked straight through the living room and back to the kitchen. Finn followed behind him, but I held back.

I slipped my tennis shoes off at the front door, not wanting to get anything on the light grey carpet in the room. I looked around and noticed that there were no pictures on the white painted walls. The room looked like it had never been decorated, leaving an empty feeling. There was a large brick fireplace on the far end of the living room, but it appeared as though it hadn't been used in ages. A red couch sat on the wall opposite of the front door, and a matching red recliner was placed on the same wall as the door, right under a double window in the front.

“Are they finally here?” I heard Seth call out from back through the hallway. He stepped into the living room, still wearing the clothes I'd seen him in at Raw, and motioned for me to follow him into the kitchen. Without his jacket on, I could see all the injuries on his arms, proof of the Hell they'd been put through during the fight.

“We're not that late,” I pointed out as I took a seat beside Finn at the rectangular table in the middle of the kitchen.

“That doesn't matter now,” Dean said from his seat across the table.

“Right,” Seth agreed as he sat down beside Dean. “Right now, what matters is the Grim Reaper.”

I noticed Finn's body go stiff at Seth's words, but he kept quiet. His bright eyes almost seemed like they fogged up as Finn stared straight ahead.

“You mean Shinsuke?” I asked, confused about why that had apparently shocked Finn.

“No, Shinsuke and this guy are kinda similar, but he's a different thing all together.” Dean's words reminded me of Shinsuke explaining the difference between a shinigami and a grim reaper when I first met him.

Shinsuke had said that a shinigami could do whatever he wants with a soul, like moving it around from body to body. A grim reaper took souls to the afterlife. There was something else he had mentioned, though. Grim reapers could eat souls to make themselves stronger. If this reaper was strong enough to have Shinsuke and the hellhounds answering to him, he must have been powerful.

I looked up to see Finn close his eyes and shake his head, almost like he was trying to get something out of his thoughts.

“What does this demon call himself?” he asked the hellhounds, his focused gaze now resting on Seth.

“We don't know his actual name. The only thing we knew him as was The Undertaker.” Seth's words were low as he studied Finn's face.

Finn lowered his head as I noticed the flames dance in his eyes for a split second. He let out a whispered curse. “Balor remembers him.”


	28. Chapter 28

Everyone turned their attention to look in Finn's direction. He lifted his head to move his crystalline eyes between me and the hellhounds, who were all waiting on him to elaborate.

“Balor says he once fought this demon continuously for days on end.” Finn's voice seemed intense as I was sure Balor had summoned up the battle's images in Finn's mind.

“Days? As in, more than one day? Continuously?” Dean interrupted, his dark blue eyes growing wide. “I knew this guy was strong, but there's no way I could fight someone for days without at least taking a break.”

I couldn't imagine a non-stop battle that lasted for days, but I was sure it had been brutal. “If they fought so hard, why are they both still alive? More or less, anyway.” I added the last part after realizing that Balor had technically been defeated once already when his body was originally destroyed.

“They tied.” Finn abruptly stopped speaking, then a small smirk appeared on his face. “The reaper actually retreated. Balor refuses to believe that they tied, but from what he showed me, they were both at their limits.”

“Didn't you say that he could kill anything when he opened his one eye, though?” I thought back to when Finn told me a little about Balor in the parking lot of Raw, before I knew what he was. I was confused about how someone with that ability wouldn't be able to take care of any opponent they wanted.

Finn moved his gaze to me and almost smiled. “There are all sorts of myths and legends about how many eyes Balor actually had, but he did have two eyes when he was in his own body. Only one of them had the ability to kill anything in its path when opened.”

“Then why didn't he just look at The Undertaker?” The solution seemed obvious to me.

“Because by that point, Balor's killing eye had been sewn shut by a black magician.” Finn looked thoughtful for a moment, probably listening to the demon in his head. “And if he somehow managed to take control of me and regain all of his physical strength, he still wouldn't be able to use that technique.”

“So we'd be in the same situation as Balor was then, assuming you can handle his full physical takeover.” Seth pointed out the fact that no one had ever seen Balor completely take control of Finn. “But I'm sure that The Undertaker has gotten even stronger since then.”

“Probably...” Finn trailed off, obviously worried about the fact that he didn't want to let Balor have his full strength back, even if he couldn't use that one technique. “How did you two get involved with him?”

“We've been working with him for about ten years now,” Seth answered as he glanced at Dean, who was sitting with his head leaned against his hand. “He told us that he'd help us get revenge on Balor for killing our pack, but we had to be patient. After that first time we met him, we only saw him once every few years. He would come to tell us that he was working on a plan, but it would take a while. He had us collect strong demons for him so that he could devour their souls; but until last year, that was all we were doing for him. Last year is when he started making plans.”

Finn nodded his head, then asked, “What do you two know about his plans? I understand why I'm in danger, but what does he want with Aislin?”

“We're not sure.” Seth took a deep breath and spared another look in Dean's direction before he started telling us everything he knew, making sure it was okay with his brother to open up to us. Dean sent a small nod in Seth's direction, so he began to explain. “We met with him right before Wyatt gathered everyone last night for that battle. He never told us much, though. All we knew was that he wanted us to help Wyatt kill you.” Seth directed an almost apologetic glance in Finn's direction. 

Dean abruptly stood up, commanding everyone's attention. He continued the story as he ran a hand through his shaggy hair and leaned against the back of his chair. “When we were talking to him last night, he made sure to tell us to bring him the girl after Balor was dead. We don't know exactly why he wanted her, though. That was a new part in his whole plan.”

At that point, Seth interrupted as he watched Dean start pacing the length of the kitchen, a slight limp still in his movements. “He had never mentioned her before, so Roman thought that her helping Wyatt wouldn't be life-threatening to her. If he knew she'd be getting involved with the reaper, he wouldn't have agreed to take Cass's spot in the plan to get her on Wyatt's side.” It seemed as though Seth was attempting to defend Roman's intentions, which I was actually glad to hear.

Dean stopped pacing then and started speaking again before Seth could go on. “At first, The Undertaker told us to just help Wyatt kill Balor with that dagger. His plan was to kill Wyatt afterwards so that he could claim the title of Demon King and be the strongest.” Dean raised his hands and scrunched his face up, making a mocking gesture as he spoke, then started pacing again as he continued. “Shinsuke obviously got to that part first. He did things out of order. He obviously knew something we didn't about why The Undertaker wanted her.”

Finn's features lit up as a realization hit him. “I told Shinsuke everything. The day of the battle, I told him that the dagger wouldn't kill me. I also told him about you having Balor.”

“What the Hell are you talking about?” Dean asked as he flipped his chair around to sit in it backwards, leaning his elbows against the back of it. “I thought you had Balor.” He pointed a finger in Finn's direction before he continued. “You said something last night about Balor being gone, and Balor being whole again. What is that supposed to mean?”

Finn let out a sigh and looked over to me, almost as if he were asking me if it were okay to tell them about this. I nodded my head at him, encouraging him to let them in on it. If The Undertaker already knew about me and Balor thanks to Shinsuke, then it was only fair that our allies knew everything as well. 

With my movement, Finn started explaining to the hellhounds about how he had saved me from the car wreck but accidentally given me a piece of Balor's soul in the process. He told them about how it had been fusing with mine, and how he had asked Shinsuke to help him get it out when he couldn't do it himself. Finally, he made sure that they knew I didn't have any part of the demon inside me anymore.

“Hot damn! I was right!” Dean raised his arm in the air, but quickly pulled it back down to his chest, cradling it as his face twisted in pain.

“I didn't even know that was possible.” Seth's bemused stare landed on me. “How do you even split a soul? How did it not take over you?”

Finn started speaking and Seth moved his attention back to him. “I don't know how it split, but it did take her over last night.”

“That's what was going on when you kicked us!” Dean realized as he sat straight up in his chair. “I didn't think you were using human strength to do that. Especially since your eyes were all...” He held up his hands around his face and wiggled his fingers as he made an “ooh” sound. The motion almost made me laugh, but I realized that it wasn't the time for jokes.

“That has to be why we were supposed to grab her,” Seth said thoughtfully after lightly smacking Dean on the arm to get him to be serious again. Dean cringed at his friend's action, the slap obviously hitting one of his wounds. 

I went back to replay everything Shinsuke had said to me and Finn when he failed to move Balor's soul. There was one thing that stood out to me as something that may be important.

“Finn,” I called for his attention as I spoke. “Do you remember the first time Shinsuke was at my apartment? Shinsuke said that the dagger might actually kill the soul since he was broken. He also said that it might just make the whole thing reunite inside me and make it easier to destroy since it would be tied to a mortal.”

“That's why he wanted you.” Finn's eyebrows raised as he followed my train of thought. “Since they knew the dagger wouldn't kill Balor, they were going to kill me and then take care of Balor when he went to your body.” He stopped and thought for a moment before anyone else spoke. “He couldn't have realized how dangerous that would have been, though. Especially since we know Balor had been feeding on your magic to make himself stronger.”

“So, basically, Balor would have been invincible if he had her magic?” Dean asked as he once again stood up and walked toward the refrigerator.

“Exactly. They just didn't know that.” Finn answered as he leaned on his elbows against the table.

“The question now is: What are we going to do about this whole thing?” Seth asked as he took a bottle of water from Dean, who went back to the fridge for more.

Dean pulled out two more bottles of water for himself and Finn, and then set a can of Pepsi in front of me on the table before returning to his seat. I looked over to him in wonder, trying to figure out how he knew that was what I would want.

At my confused expression, Dean chuckled. “After he told us to help you, he said to make sure we had your thinking juice if we wanted you to trust us.”

I smiled fondly, knowing that Dean was talking about Roman. After opening the can and taking a gulp, I began to piece together a plan.

“Shinsuke thinks that all of us are dead except for Finn,” I pointed out, realizing that the hellhounds were all but lifeless when Shinsuke had disappeared. “That already gives us an upper hand. Finn has more people on his side than Shinsuke realizes.”

Finn turned to Seth and tried to come up with a strategy. “If the reaper thinks that you're dead, let him keep believing it. Don't go back anywhere that he knows you've stayed. It'll give us an upper hand if I have help that he wasn't expecting. Do you know where he's staying?”

“No,” Seth answered as he let out a sigh. “He always came to us when he needed to meet with us. It was always unannounced and we never knew where he was staying.”

Dean's voice was full of determination as he set his goal, slamming his fist down on the table in front of him before grimacing at the motion. “We can hunt him down, though.”

“We'll all work on finding leads, then,” Finn agreed as he looked over to the two hellhounds. “If you find anything, let me know. If we can figure out where he's staying, we can launch a sneak attack and surprise him. We'll need to know exactly how many we're going to be up against first, though.”

“What can I do to help?” I asked, glancing back and forth between the three demons sitting at the table.

Finn was the first to reply to my question. “You stay low. If you see any new face at work, get out of sight and call one of us. We don't need Shinsuke finding out that you're alive, and we have no idea who's working with him.”

I didn't like not being able to go searching for The Undertaker with them, but Finn had a point about me needing to stay out of sight, so I didn't argue with him.

We all exchanged phone numbers, then the conversation died down as a tense silence surrounded the room. Dean leaned his head down to rest it on the table, and I noticed he and Seth both still looked like they were sore from the previous night. If I couldn't help track The Undertaker down, there was one thing I could do for them.

I stood up and walked around the table to the side they were sitting on. I stopped when I was standing in between the two demons, both of them giving me curious stares.

“I want to help you feel better,” I told them as I placed a hand on each of their shoulders and waited for them to give me some sign that they were okay with me healing them.

“You sure you want to do that with Finn right here?” Dean smiled, a playful gleam in his eye. The joke instantly died when Finn let a barely audible growl escape his throat, sending a shiver down my spine.

“Okay, you don't get healed then.” I smiled as I removed my hand from Dean's shoulder, trying to keep the mood light.

“Sorry.” He held out the word as he smiled in Finn's direction. “Calm down, Balor. It was only a joke.”

“Dean, don't make me smack you again.” Seth turned toward his friend and gave him a stern look.

Without another word, I replaced my palm on Dean's shoulder and took a deep breath. I noticed Finn's eyes focusing on me, an almost worried expression on his face. I started focusing on sending my magic into the hellhounds then. I'd never tried to heal two people at the same time, but they didn't need a whole lot of magic to be back to one hundred percent. It wasn't as hard as I thought it would be, and within a minute I had noticed that all of their cuts had become almost invisible.

After I had used as much magic as I wanted to, I removed my hands from them and went to sit back down beside Finn. I grabbed my can of Pepsi and took a huge gulp before smiling in Finn's direction, trying to show him that I was okay.

Seth's eyes held amazement as he looked in my direction while wrapping his arm around his chest in a stretch. “That's going to come in handy.”

“Especially if we mess up the sneak attack,” Dean added as he stood up and walked around the kitchen without a limp this time.

I watched as the men tested their injuries, making sure that I had gotten them all. “If anything happens during the attack, I'll be right there to help.”

“No, you won't be.” Finn's low words caught me off guard. 

I turned to give him an unbelieving stare. “Don't try that again. You saw how well it worked the last time when you tried to get me to stay home.”

The hellhounds looked to each other, then back to Finn. They were waiting on an explanation.

“I saw exactly what happened last time.” His voice had gone soft, almost like he was begging me to not argue with him about it. “I saw you get killed last time because you wanted to go with us. I can't put you in that danger again.”

“What happens when one of you gets hurt and needs help?” I asked, knowing that I would need to be there for them.

“We'll come to you.” His response was quick, almost like he'd already had it planned out.

“And if you can't make it?” I shot back as I noticed Dean and Seth moving their attention back and forth between me and Finn as we spoke. Finn stayed quiet and moved his clear gaze down to his bottle of water, not having a reply for my logic.

Instead of answering my question, he went a different route as he returned his eyes to mine. “You won't have Balor to fight for you this time.”

“Then teach me how to fight so I'm not just hiding in the shadows,” I demanded, not backing down from my argument.

Finn let a smile crack on his lips then as he shut his eyes and slowly shook his head. “No. The last thing I want is to accidentally hurt you.”

I let out a frustrated sigh as I decided to drop the subject. I didn't like having an audience for it, and the other two demons were watching us intently. I would figure out some way to get him to change his mind about it, but this wasn't the time.

After a few more minutes of discussing where to start the search for The Undertaker, we decided that it was time to call it a night. The hellhounds had told us that they planned on staying at Roman's house since they didn't think Shinsuke knew where it was, and they said that they'd start looking for leads to him first thing the next morning.

The drive home was silent as I thought of ways to convince Finn that I needed to be with them when they found The Undertaker. I had finally decided that I would point out the fact that Finn would be leaving me alone, open to attacks, if I weren't with him during the battle. I just needed to wait on the right time to make my argument.

After we got back to my apartment, I put my phone on the charger and changed my clothes before climbing into the bed. Finn followed close behind me after turning the lights out, but didn't lay down beside me. He sat on the bed and looked down to me.

“I have something to ask you.” Finn's voice was almost nervous as he looked down to his hands, a sound that I wasn't used to hearing from Finn.

I raised my head and settled it against my open palm to look into his ocean blue eyes, waiting for his question.

“Tell me...” he paused, trying to decide on the right words as he moved his gaze over to me. “Do you still feel a connection with me now that Balor isn't in there forcing us together for his soul?” 

His question took me off guard. I hadn't given a second thought about Shinsuke saying that the connection I felt had been because of Balor trying to rejoin with his missing soul. When Shinsuke had first told us that, I had been worried that Balor was the reason I was feeling so close to Finn. However, ever since Balor had left me, I still felt the same way about Finn as I did before I had died. I trusted him with my life, and I truly did love him.

“It's not the same kind of connection now that it's just me in here,” I told him, making his face fall the slightest bit in the darkness. “When I first saw you, I felt like I knew you from somewhere. I knew I had never met you before, but there was this feeling like I should get closer to you. That was why I went back into Raw when Roman brought me to get my car and I saw you go in. It was like this pulling force that I didn't understand was drawing me to you. Now I know that force was the soul.” 

I stopped to think about how I should word my feelings, but quickly continued before Finn got upset. “But, it's just my feelings in here now, and I feel even closer to you than I ever have.”

“How? You've seen what I'm capable of. I've killed strong demons, but I wasn't even able to protect you from Balor. He still managed to get you killed.” Finn returned his gaze to his hands in his lap, his face seemingly full of regret.

I sat up and moved in front of him, getting his attention so that I could look him in the eyes. “He managed to get me killed?”

Finn's expression changed to one of anger then, but it wasn't directed at me. “Yes, he made you move to take that blow from the dagger. All because of some deal that he shouldn't have even made with you to begin with.”

I tried to smile at Finn, but it didn't seem to help his mood. “Finn, I would have done that anyway. He just got me there faster than I would have been able to.”

The wonder in Finn's eyes took over the anger that had been there as he stared at me. “You _wanted_ to do that?”

“Yes. After experiencing just a tiny bit of what you go through with that demon, I admire your strength and will power to control the whole thing. But I'm also strong willed. Do you really think he would have been able to move me without me wanting him to? During that whole time he was in control of me, that was exactly what I wanted. Like you said earlier, I needed him to fight for me because I knew I couldn't.”

A small smile started playing at the corner of Finn's mouth. “I guess I underestimated your courage.”

“I think my courage has just grown since meeting you.” I smiled again in his direction. “If you would have told me two weeks ago that I would willingly be sitting here with the Demon King—not afraid of him, but trying to convince him that I love him—I would have called you crazy. I would have told you that demons didn't exist, and if they did, they would be entirely too scary to have a conversation with. But here we are. I was actually trying to convince you to let me go with you to fight more demons, and that's definitely not something I would have done before I met you.”

A slight chuckle passed Finn's lips as his smile broadened. “Aislin, you never cease to amaze me.”

“I'm going to take that as a good thing.” I laughed, but a yawn made it's way out of my mouth afterwards.

“Maybe we should go to sleep now,” Finn suggested as he laid down across the bed.

I got comfortable beside him, then realized he hadn't answered his own question. “What about you? Do you still feel the same?”

Finn turned on his side so that he could face me, speaking softly. “Like I said to Shinsuke, I was sure Balor had nothing to do with how I felt.”

“How were you so sure?”

Finn laid his hand on my cheek. “After watching you with Cass for a month before the wreck, I had already started to fall for you. Actually getting to talk to you made it even harder for me to leave you out of this.” He stopped, closing his eyes for a moment before continuing. “I am sorry that you're involved in everything now, but it's given me the chance to get to know you; and for that, I'm eternally grateful.”

After he finished talking, Finn leaned his up on his elbow to hover over my face and gently captured my lips with his. It wasn't a needy kiss, but it held more passion than I could put into words. My heart felt like it had stopped beating altogether. The happiness that welled up inside of me made me wish that I could freeze time and just live in this moment for the rest of my life—or at least the rest of the night.


	29. Chapter 29

When I woke up the next morning, I was disappointed to find that the other side of my bed was empty. Placing my hand behind me, I noticed that Finn's side of the bed was still warm, which meant he hadn't been up long. I rolled over to check the time and saw my phone flashing with a notification on my bedside table. Once I unplugged it from the charger, I decided to read the message.

“Get away from Balor for a while and I'll teach you how to fight.” 

After I had re-read the text at least five times to make sure I was seeing it correctly, my groggy mind finally thought to check who the sender was. Confusion ran through me as I realized it was from Seth. He had only sent the message five minutes earlier, so I typed out a response.

“How do you expect me to get away from FINN?”

I was surprised when I got a reply almost immediately. “Already on it.”

I could hear voices coming from the living room, so I got up and changed into a pair of jeans and a baggy black sweater before brushing my hair. When I decided I looked acceptable enough, I opened my bedroom door to hear Finn and Dean talking.

“I'm telling you, these guys look suspicious,” Dean was saying as I rounded the corner to meet their gazes.

Finn ignored what Dean was saying and turned around to send me a warm smile. “Good mornin', darlin'.”

I watched as Dean pantomimed a gagging motion behind Finn's back, but I returned his smile and told them both good morning.

“Do either of you want something to eat?” I asked them as I went to the kitchen for a bowl of cereal and a Pepsi.

“Thanks, but I already ate before I came here,” Dean replied as he rubbed his stomach, not moving from the living room.

Finn followed me to the kitchen and prepared his own bowl of cereal, sitting with me at the table to eat.

“What were you two talking about?” I asked as I watched Dean finally follow us and sit down at the table beside Finn.

“I found a bunch of demons who I think might lead us to The Undertaker; but Seth can't go with me to check them out because he's tailing a smaller group of demons, and I don't want to go alone in case something happens.” Dean explained as he moved his cobalt blue eyes in my direction. “I was just here to ask Finn if he could come with me.”

Realization dawned on me as I thought that this had to be Seth's plan to get Finn to leave for a while. 

“Well, are you going?” I turned my attention to Finn and was met with a sigh as he kept his gaze on his food.

“I don't like the idea of leaving you alone, but we do need to figure out where they are,” he admitted, almost in a defeated tone.

“You don't have to worry about me,” I told him as he looked up to meet my eyes. “I've got to leave for work in a couple of hours, anyway.”

“See, she'll be fine,” Dean said with a smile as he lightly smacked Finn's back in a friendly gesture. Finn's icy glare showed that the motion wasn't appreciated, and Dean removed his hand to continue his assurances. “Once she gets to work, she'll be surrounded by people and no one will try to grab her.”

“And if I see anyone I don't recognize, I'll hide in the back. I'll tell Kurt I'm sick or something and go to the bathroom to call one of you.”

Finn returned his stare to me and released another sigh as he accepted mine and Dean's arguments. “I guess you're right.”

“Of course I am,” Dean said in a cocky tone as he stood up, ready to leave again. “So let's go.”

Finn took one last bite of his cereal before placing his bowl in the sink and standing beside Dean. “Where are we going?”

“We're going to California,” Dean said almost excitedly as he placed a hand on Finn's shoulder.

Finn shot him another cold glare and Dean moved his hand from Finn's shoulder once more.

“Before we go,” Finn started as he turned his softened eyes back to me, “please be careful. If you notice anything that seems off while you're at work, call me. I don't care if it's something small; any little detail might help us.”

“Got it,” I told him with a smile as I stood up to meet his gaze.

Finn wrapped his arms around me then in a tight hug and gently kissed the top of my head. I let him hold me for a second as I placed my arms around his waist and breathed in the warm scent of summer campfires.

“Be careful,” I told him and Dean both as I took a step back away from Finn so that they could get going.

Dean once again rested his hand on Finn's shoulder and said, “See ya later,” as they both disappeared into the air.

I had just enough time to turn to the sink to wash my empty bowl before I felt another presence appear behind me.

“Let's go if you really want me to teach you anything.”

I turned to see Seth standing beside my kitchen table looking at me almost impatiently with his rich brown eyes. His muscular form was leaned against the back of the chair, his arms crossed. Waves of dark hair fell around his face and I noticed he was wearing clothes that seemed perfect for training—a pair of basketball shorts and an old, black t-shirt.

“I don't know how much I can teach you because I usually fight as a hound; but I can at least get the basics,” he said as he uncrossed his arms and held a fist out to me. “Grab on. Let's go.”

“Let's go where, exactly?” I asked him, curiosity building in my mind.

“We're going to Roman's house. He basically has a gym set up in that basement of his.” Seth let a smile slide onto his face, but quickly returned to the impatient expression. “Now, grab on.”

I looked at his outstretched arm wearily before asking, “Can I just drive? It's only twenty minutes away, and the whole teleporting thing has made me nauseous every time.”

Seth almost rolled his eyes at my request, but returned his arm to his side. “I guess even a healer can't fix nausea, huh? Then I'll see you there.”

With that, he was gone again. I quickly went into my room to change into a loose fitting pair of shorts and an old t-shirt. I made sure to grab my work clothes to take with me so that I wouldn't have to come back home before my shift started. After tossing my phone into my purse and throwing it over my shoulder, I headed toward the door.

When I stepped out into the late October air, I almost decided to go change into a pair of sweat pants instead of shorts, but decided against it since Seth was already waiting on me. I climbed into my car and cranked the heater up, silently driving to Roman's house.

I almost wondered if this was some kind of trap set up by Seth to get me away from Finn, but I quickly shook the thought from my mind. Roman said they could be trusted, even if it was only my imagination seeing him off into the afterlife. Something in my gut told me that the hellhounds were really on our side, and that they wanted this grim reaper dead just as much as Balor did.

When I pulled into Roman's driveway, I was suddenly hit with a nervous feeling. As I climbed out of my car, I looked around the yard to see nothing out of the ordinary. The only thing that I could see moving was a large, black crow in the tree above me. As I looked in its direction, it let out a caw before flying off.

I quickly walked up to the wooden front door and knocked a few times, waiting for Seth to answer.

“Finally,” he said as he opened the door to let me in. “This way.”

The uneasy feeling vanished as soon as I was in the house and shut the front door back behind me. I must have just been nervous about this whole thing, I thought, trying to shake it off.

After I tossed my purse onto the couch in the living room, Seth led me to a door in the hallway, opening it to reveal stairs leading down to the basement. As I walked down the steps, I took in my surroundings. The basement was finished, almost like it could be an extra bedroom or a den. The floor had mauve colored carpet, and the walls were covered with dark brown paneling that was supposed to look like wood. I saw several weights and other exercise machines all over the room, but Seth ignored them and stood in the middle of the large area.

“Okay, punch me as hard as you can.” He turned his left shoulder in my direction and stared straight at me, waiting for my attack.

“Why?” I stopped in front of him, dumbfounded. I was wondering what me hitting him would achieve, other than probably hurting my knuckles.

Seth let a small chuckle escape his mouth as he tilted his head down to the ground, slowly straightening his body back out again. When he looked back up to me, there was almost amusement in his chestnut colored eyes. “I have to know what I'm working with here. I've only ever felt your strength with Balor helping you. I need to see what you can do on your own.”

That made sense, I thought to myself as I tried to relax. 

“Okay, here goes,” I warned him as I shook my arms and took a deep breath. 

Seth once again turned his shoulder to me, ready to take my attack. I lifted my right fist and punched him as hard as I could, my balled up fingers making a smacking noise against his flesh. As soon as I made contact with his muscular upper arm, I immediately regretted it. Pain shot through my wrist as I recoiled my arm and cradled it to my chest.

Seth's laughter caught me off guard. I was hoping he'd at least be knocked over a little bit with the full force of my weight, but he hadn't budged an inch.

“Balor had a lot more control than I realized,” he said through laughs as he watched me shake out my hand.

I faced him again and leveled my gaze at him. “You can't tell me that didn't at least hurt a little bit.”

“Okay, maybe a little bit,” he answered me as his laughs died down. I wasn't sure if he truly meant that or if he was just trying to make me feel better.

“Let me try again.” I took up my position in front of him, ready to give it another shot.

“First,” he started as he quickly put his hair into a bun, using a hair tie he'd had on his wrist, “hold your fist straight in line with your wrist. You had it bent, which is why it hurt.” He raised his own hand and bent his wrist while he spoke. “Second, don't stop pushing just because you make contact. If you're punching my shoulder, pretend like you're trying to reach the wall behind me. Keep pushing through until you can't move forward anymore. You decrease the damage you inflict if you stop the momentum just because you hit something.”

He stood tall in front of me again after getting the hair out of his face, ready for me to try once more. I took another deep breath and did as he instructed. When the blow landed, Seth actually flinched. It was the tiniest of motions, but it was still more than he'd done the first time. Triumph at the small victory flooded through me, but it was short lived.

“Better. Now let's see if you can do that while I'm moving. Most demons can move at unreal speeds. I'll slow it down a little and see if you can get me.”

 

After almost an hour of trying—and failing—to catch Seth with a blow, I was starting to get worn out. I was trying to concentrate on his movements, but I slipped up and over estimated where he'd be. The mess up caused me to trip over my own feet, my body landing in the floor in front of him. I sat up while trying to get my breath to even out.

“Good try,” Seth said to me as he placed his hand on my head and messed up my already tangled hair. “Let's take a break.”

I swatted his hand away from my head with a huff of defeat and let him help me to my feet. We made our way back up the steps and into the kitchen where we'd all been sitting the night before. I took a seat at the table as I watched Seth raid the fridge, bringing out a can of Pepsi and a bottle of water.

As I took the drink from him, I thought about what Finn might have been doing. He had been gone with Dean for at least an hour, keeping an eye on some group of suspicious demons.

“What demons did Dean find? How might they be related to The Undertaker?” I asked Seth as I watched him sit down across the table from me.

A huge smile grew on his face as he let out a barking laugh. “They're watching a group of elves that we met while we were in California. They aren't dangerous, and they definitely aren't linked to The Undertaker. That was just something to get Balor to leave so he wouldn't argue about you coming here.”

I couldn't help the laugh that bubbled up inside me. Seth and Dean had sent Finn on a wild goose chase, apparently. I tried to imagine Dean convincing Finn that the elves were dangerous, but the thought just made my laughter even harder.

“I came up with that plan when I realized Balor probably wouldn't let you out of his sight with everything going on right now.” Seth's laughs slowly faded as he turned his drink up, downing half of the bottle in one go.

I took a sip of Pepsi as I tried to decide how to phrase my next words. “What made you decide to help me, anyway? You were all for killing me two nights ago.”

Seth turned his gaze to the half empty bottle on the table, keeping it there while he answered me in an almost whispered voice. “Roman. He had been trying to tell us that you were a good person, and if you trusted Balor, then we should listen to you. He had been skeptical about Wyatt for a few weeks before that big fight broke out. Once Wyatt turned on Roman, Dean and I decided that we weren't going to work for anyone else again. When Roman came to, after you saved him, he begged us to help you and Balor. He begged us to fight for our freedom from The Undertaker. Once we agreed to work for him, it was like he took ownership of us. We were at his beck and call.” 

Seth finally turned his warm eyes back in my direction. “Roman also wanted us to take you in as one of our own. Whether you like it or not, Dean and I have your back now. The way you didn't hesitate to save him, even after you knew that he had been lying to you... that's what loyalty is.”

My heart swelled as I listened to his quiet words, the pressure in my chest building until I thought it would burst open. 

“I'll try my hardest to help you any way I can,” I told him as I tried to control the emotions welling inside of me.

Seth flashed me a quick smile before asking, “Aren't you going to be late for work?”

I glanced up to the clock on the stove and realized that I only had half an hour to change and make the drive to Raw. After running out to my car for my spare clothes, I quickly made my way back inside to the bathroom so I could change. I threw my hair up in a pony tail and returned to the kitchen to finish the rest of my Pepsi.

“We'll do this again the next time we can get Balor to leave, okay?” Seth said as he walked me to the front door.

“Definitely. I have to figure out how to hit you while you're moving.” I jokingly threw a fist toward Seth, but he side-stepped it and let out a chuckle.

“Maybe next time,” he said as he opened the door for me.

With that, I walked outside and to my car, ready to get this work night over with.


	30. Chapter 30

My shift at Raw went by agonizingly slow. Thursday nights were normally boring, but it seemed extra empty in the bar on this night. Kurt had been interviewing new bartenders all night, so a few new faces came in. I had tried my hardest to stay out of the sight of the possible new employees, not knowing if any of them could have been demons.

As I was washing the tables in my section one last time before Nikki was supposed to be there, I heard a loud voice come through the front door.

“I told you, I thought we were on to something there.” I smiled to myself as Dean's statement filled the bar over the music playing through the speakers. 

I turned around to see Finn and Dean walking through the door. Finn looked like he was about to lose his patience as he rubbed the bridge of his nose with his forefinger and thumb. When he lowered his hand, his gaze landed on me and his face brightened.

“How did it go, guys?” I asked them as they sat down at the table I'd just finished wiping off.

“It was a total bust,” Dean answered as he leaned back in his chair with a fake look of disappointment. He knew it wouldn't lead them anywhere from the start.

“They were just innocent elves that Dean had us keeping track of for ten hours.” Finn rolled his eyes, and I realized he was holding a plastic bag in his hand. When he saw me look at it curiously, he held it out to me with a smile. “I got you something while we were gone.”

I took the bag from him and opened it, pulling out a new coat. It was a heavy, black fabric that had grey fuzzy lining on the inside, perfect for the colder weather. 

“Thank you.” I smiled as I tried it on, noticing the perfect fit. “I really needed this after mine got destroyed.”

I took the jacket right back off and put it back in its bag, not wanting to get it dirty, before I sat down at the table with the two men. “So no luck, huh?”

“None,” Finn answered as he released a sigh and looked in my direction. “How has your evening been?”

“It's been slow. Kurt's been interviewing people to take the open bartender position, so I've seen at least four people I don't know.” 

Finn's eyes became almost alarmed at my words. “Did you talk to them? Did they see you?”

I raised my hand in a “calm down” motion toward Finn as I tried to reassure him. “I stayed away from the door and tried to keep out of sight. I think I'm good.”

“Good,” Finn breathed, turning his gaze to Dean. “Have you heard anything from Seth yet?”

“Nope. But he thinks we should search around all of the places the reaper has met us at,” Dean said as he leaned his elbows onto the table in front of him.

“Aislin,” Kurt interrupted as he walked up behind me.

“I'm sorry. I was just about to get back to work. I've already got all the cleaning done before Nikki comes in, and I was just about to do my last rounds.” I quickly stood up and turned to face him, thinking that he was going to fuss at me for sitting down with customers. 

When I took in his expression, a different panic started easing its way into me. Kurt looked out of sorts. He wouldn't make eye contact with me, and he seemed almost shaken as he placed his hand on my upper arm and directed me to follow him to the back.

I glanced back and noticed Finn and Dean both standing up, ready to follow me. They must have noticed how Kurt seemed off as well, but I slightly shook my head at them. Kurt wasn't involved in the demons, so I had no reason to think his mood was anything more than work related. 

As we walked behind the bar to the door of the kitchen, I noticed Nikki was already there. She had already begun taking care of customers, so I was beginning to wonder if I was about to get fired.

Once I got to the kitchen with Kurt, I realized he had everyone who was working the first shift of the night gathered. I saw Enzo, myself, the two cooks, and Ember—the waitress who worked the other side of the bar. Kurt had asked the next shift's workers to give us all a moment of privacy, and they stepped out of the kitchen.

Kurt stood in front of us as we all looked to each other, confusion thick in the room. Finally, Kurt turned his gaze up to meet each of ours before speaking. He stopped when he got to me, holding his eyes on my face almost sympathetically.

“This is hard for me to tell you all,” he began, trying to fight back tears. “I told you yesterday about how Roman was in the hospital, but I got a call from his brother a few minutes ago. Roman's no longer with us.”

My heart fell. I knew Roman was already gone, but seeing everyone's reactions to this news made me realize once again the finality of it. I hadn't seen Seth or Dean shed a single tear for Roman, though I knew that losing him must have hurt them. I could feel my eyes start to fill as I watched my co-workers fight back their own emotions. I found myself wishing that my healing magic could also fix the pain of heartache, but I knew it didn't work that way.

“I know he was one of your only friends,” Kurt whispered to me as he stepped in front of me, “but just know that you have a whole family here.”

The hug he gave me caught me off guard, along with his words. The flood gates opened and I felt my own tears start spilling from my eyes. I didn't even really know anyone else as well as I had gotten to know Roman, but Kurt had already said I was a part of this family.

After a few minutes of everyone trying to gather themselves, we all tried to keep calm as we walked out of the kitchen. Kurt didn't want the next shift to know anything yet because he planned on telling them after closing time. He didn't expect anyone to want to work after hearing that news, and I couldn't blame them.

As I stepped up to the time clock, I realized that Finn had walked up behind me alone, holding my jacket in his arm. 

“Were you crying?” A flame danced in Finn's eyes for a fraction of a second after I clocked out and turned to him. I could feel that my eyes were still a little puffy, but I didn't think it was obvious anymore. Finn gently took my hand in his and pitched his voice low, almost in a growl. “What did he do?”

“He didn't do anything.” I squeezed his hand in mine and looked up to his confused face. “Roman's gone.”

Understanding lit Finn's features as I assumed Dean had filled him in on this plan of Seth's. He released my hand and wrapped my coat around my shoulders, letting me slide my arms through. After I had it on, Finn placed his arm around my shoulders and led me to the door. I noticed Kurt watching us as we walked out, a small smile slipping past his lips.

 

Four days had come and gone before I realized it. Dean had been making honest efforts to look for leads to Shinsuke and The Undertaker over the last few days. He had asked Finn to go with him each time instead of Seth, always making up an excuse for why Seth couldn't join him. While Finn and Dean were gone, Seth and I would meet at Roman's house for training.

Finn's mood seemed to be on edge during those days, as well. I couldn't blame him for being tense, though. This grim reaper must have been strong to tie with Balor at his best, and if he had as many demons working for him as Wyatt did, then we were in for one Hell of a fight. Finn not being able to use Balor's full strength without giving him complete control had also been weighing on his mind. We were at a disadvantage, and we all knew it—which was why I needed to be more useful than just healing them when they got hurt.

I had gotten better at feeling out where Seth would be when he was using his demon speed to avoid me, and on the third day, I finally hit him once. Of course, he took that as a sign to speed up and give me more of a challenge.

I stood in the middle of Roman's basement as I bent over to place my hands on my knees, attempting to control my heavy breathing. I felt like I had already been chasing Seth around the room for hours, but we weren't done yet. I listened to him talk me through what was about to happen.

“You need to learn how to dodge attacks, too,” Seth told me as he came to a stop in front of me. “Last night's hit was something, but it'll be different when the demon is actually trying to attack you while it moves. You may try to hit it and it bite your arm.”

Seth's words made me remember how he'd gotten a hold of my leg with his fangs when I tried to kick him the night of the fight with Wyatt. I definitely needed to know how to avoid that situation again.

“What's the secret to dodging?” I asked him as I stood up straight to meet his eyes.

“There is no secret, really. Just keep your eye on your opponent like you've been doing to catch me. Pay close attention to my movements, and you'll be able to tell which way I'll be coming from.”

When he was done explaining, he walked all the way to the far wall of the room. I kept my focus on him as I let out one more heavy breath. To my amazement, he started glowing and was suddenly down on all fours. In his place stood the huge black dog, his irises glowing a bright brown color, pointed ears listening for new sounds.

“Are you going to come at me like that?” I asked in disbelief, wondering if I could keep up with the dog better than I could the man. The chances of that weren't likely, I thought.

The giant canine nodded his head and let out a huff that almost sounded like a sneeze. I resisted the urge to go pet him, and instead watched for his next move.

In a flash, Seth had jumped for me, barring teeth in my direction. I almost couldn't keep up with his movements, but I managed to step aside just in time to miss his fangs. Before I realized what was going on, though, he had turned and come for my open back.

He pounced on me, causing me to fall forward into one of Roman's work out machines. I didn't get my hands up in time to break the fall, so when my skull met the metal, pain erupted throughout my head.

“Oh shit,” Seth's panicked voice was over me as he tried to help me sit up. “I'm sorry, I didn't mean to knock you down so hard. You'd been doing so good, I thought you'd be ready for that.”

I sat cross-legged on the floor as I leaned forward to put my head in my hands between my knees. I felt the warm trickle of blood running down my forehead and into my sweaty palms, so I raised my head up to keep the blood from getting on the carpet.

“Balor is going to kill me.” Seth's eyes were wide as he stared at my bleeding head.

“Nope,” I whispered as I concentrated my magic on the dull pain in my skull. 

I felt the familiar tingle of the healing as I focused on getting the bleeding to stop. I kept the magic pulsing through me even after I had stopped feeling the flow of blood, making sure to completely erase the wound. The last thing I needed was for Finn to find out what was going on and kill Seth for accidentally hurting me.

“All better,” I told him as I smiled in his direction, trying to ease his worried gaze.

“Now we just need to clean the blood off,” he said as he stood up and helped me to my feet.

I got up the stairs and went to the bathroom to clean myself up. I glanced out the window, noticing that the half moon was already out in the night sky. After making sure all the blood was washed away, I found Seth in the living room, looking down at his phone with a smile.

“I'm not sure what it is, but they actually found something.” He raised his gaze to meet mine, his smile quickly fading. “You have to get back home unless you want Balor to find out I'm helping you. They're about to go back there.”

At his words, I said a quick bye and headed for my car. I was sure I broke a few speed limits on the way back to my apartment, but as soon as I shut my front door behind me and slipped my shoes off in the kitchen, Dean and Finn appeared in my living room. A nervous feeling ran over my skin at seeing them. I was hoping I would at least have time to change out of my t-shirt so that Finn wouldn't wonder why I was all sweaty, but he didn't even appear to notice.

“We finally found a solid lead,” Finn told me with a triumphant smile on his face as he walked up to greet me, placing a kiss on my cheek.

“The Undertaker is probably in Texas!” Dean announced as he pulled his phone from his pocket and dialed a number. “Brother, get over to Aislin's apartment with us now.”

Before Dean even had time to hang up his phone, Seth was standing in my living room with Dean. I felt the nervous excitement in the room building up as all three demons gathered around my kitchen table to discuss this new finding. I went to the fridge for a Pepsi, taking one out for everyone else as well. I felt like we all probably needed the caffeine boost. 

After sitting a can in front of each of them, I found a seat beside Finn on one side of the table.

“What did you find?” Seth asked Dean as he watched him intently.

“I think we found his secret base.” Dean's voice was filled with victory as he slapped the table in front of him. “I decided we'd go to Texas, since we met The Undertaker twice there. I remembered hearing about people disappearing in the western deserts there, so that's where we went. Finn here spotted a group of random demons and humans who looked like they were sleepwalking through the desert, so we followed them.”

Dean turned his eyes to Finn, who was silently letting Dean tell the story. It was almost as if Dean were wanting Finn to explain the rest of what happened—much like he and Seth would do—but Finn kept his gaze on Dean, waiting for him to continue.

Dean released a dramatic sigh before moving along with his account of what had happened. “They finally stopped at this big cave looking thing, and they went in. Then we smelled blood.”

“That has to be Shinsuke calling their spirits, and The Undertaker killing and devouring their souls.” Seth's voice was thoughtful as he kept his eyes on Finn and Dean.

“Was there anyone else there?” I asked Finn as he met my gaze.

“We didn't see anyone else, but that's not saying there aren't more in the cave.” Finn's tone held uncertainty as he watched me open my soda. “We don't know how deep the cave goes, or how big the inside is. There may be demons crawling all over the place.”

“We still need to make a move before he moves on you, though. If he's gathering souls, it means he's just getting stronger and stronger every day.” Seth's words were true, but I didn't want to imagine how strong The Undertaker must be now compared to Balor. “He also might not stay in one place for long.”

Finn ran his fingers over his beard as he thought Seth's words over for a moment. “Would you two be willing to try for our sneak attack tomorrow morning?”

“The sooner the better,” Dean answered as he tilted his head back and forth in a swaying motion, punching his own fist into his open palm.

After an hour of listening to them make plans, they finally decided on meeting at Roman's house first thing in the morning to head out to Texas and the looming threat of the grim reaper.


	31. Chapter 31

The plan that everyone had come up with wasn't that hard to follow. They would get to the cave and watch for any sign of other demons roaming around. When it looked clear, they planned on sneaking in together. If there were multiple demons waiting on them, they would split up and fight a few each. If there was only one or two demons inside, the strategy was to take them from behind and keep going. If either of them found Shinsuke or The Undertaker, he was to stay hidden until all three of them were back together to fight them at once.

After finishing off my can of soda, I excused myself to the bathroom for a shower. I left the boys in the kitchen, the conversation focused on how much strength Finn could pull from Balor without him gaining control. Finn sounded troubled about the whole thing, but I had confidence in his ability to control Balor. If he had been doing it for a hundred years, why would it be any different for this fight? Of course, I thought to myself, this was the strongest opponent Finn had ever faced since taking on Balor. He never had a need to use more of Balor's powers than he could handle—until this fight.

Once I was done with my shower, I put on a clean pair of sweatpants and a red tank top. I stepped out of the bathroom and into a still silence throughout my apartment, realizing that Dean and Seth had already left for the night.

Finn rounded the corner from the kitchen into the hallway, a small smile playing at his lips as I met his tired gaze.

“You look like you need some rest,” I told him as I took his hand and led him to the bedroom.

Without a word, he followed me closely, then removed his jeans and light grey t-shirt. He flipped the light switch off before lying down on the bed beside me under the blanket.

“It's been a long few days,” he admitted as he placed his hands behind his head to get comfortable.

I laid my cheek against his warm chest, keeping my gaze on his perfectly sculpted abs as I let my hand rest there.

“It's going to turn out all right,” I whispered against his skin, trying to stay optimistic. “You already said that neither The Undertaker nor Shinsuke know how many people you have helping you. We've got the advantage of knowing where they're at, too.”

Finn curled his arm around my shoulders then and took in a deep breath. “Seth, Dean, and I do have that advantage.”

I knew exactly what he was doing. Finn was giving me a gentle reminder that he wanted me to stay home. I released a heavy sigh, my warm breath making Finn shiver underneath me. Now was as good a time as any to convince him that he needed me, I thought as my stubborn streak flared up once again.

Keeping my face turned away from his, I tried to make my case as calmly as I could. “I can help you guys.”

“I know,” he answered as he ran his fingers through my hair. “But I would rather have you out of harm's way.”

“I'm involved in this, too. I don't want to just sit on the sidelines and wait for everyone to come back. It makes me feel like a useless burden.” Finn remained silent after I spoke, so I decided to further my argument. “What if you leave me here, and Shinsuke realizes it and comes for me? I'll be alone.”

Finn's body stiffened at my words. Apparently he hadn't thought of that possibility; or he was hoping I hadn't thought of it to use it against him. “How are your lessons with Seth going?”

I jerked my head up, leaning on my forearm to look into his face with wonder. “How did you...?”

His lips twisted into a knowing smile at my reaction as he sat up to rest on his elbows. “You really thought I didn't see what was going on? As soon as Dean asked me to go with him to watch the elves, I remembered you asking me to teach you how to fight. I put two and two together pretty quickly.”

Finn's reaction to this wasn't what I was expecting from him, especially after he had seemed so against me learning to fight a few nights ago. “You aren't upset about it?”

The smile Finn was wearing slowly faded as he answered me. “I would only be upset if he had hurt you.”

“But if you aren't upset about it, why didn't you just agree to help me?” I asked, thinking that Finn didn't need to know about my forehead being busted open.

Finn sighed as he turned to look out the window, the moonlight shining through the open curtain. “I didn't want to take the chance of slipping up and letting Balor hurt you again. I don't think he'd hurt you on purpose now, but I don't want to risk it.” He turned his head slowly back in my direction, a resigned smile appearing on his face. “Seth and Dean have full control of themselves and all their strength. They don't have a sadistic side they can't predict sometimes.” 

The way he'd spoken seemed like he almost thought it wasn't fair that he couldn't help me without the fear of Balor interfering.

“Why didn't you say anything sooner?”

“Because I knew I wasn't going to talk you out of it.” He tilted his head up and closed his bright blue eyes on a small sigh. “Just like I know I'm not going to talk you out of going with us. I'm sure you've already planned to have Seth or Dean take you anyway, right?”

The thought had gone through my mind, but I wasn't going to confirm Finn's suspicions.

He lowered his gaze back down to my face, speaking softly now. “Just promise me that if something goes wrong, you'll leave with one of the hellhounds. I already told them that they were to get you out of there if it looked like we were in trouble. They may have been all for you going with us, but they agree with me when it comes to keeping you safe.”

I felt a victorious smile fix itself on my face, but I tried to hide it. “You got it. Remember, my magic is stronger now. I'm not going to go down so easily this time.”

“I'd rather you not go down at all, if we can help it.” Finn's serious expression erased my triumphant feeling, replacing it with a determination. “I watched you die once. I don't plan on letting it happen again. Even Balor wants you to stay alive. Believe it or not, he's taken quite a liking to you, in his own twisted way.”

I wasn't sure how to react to Balor liking me. The way Finn had said it almost made me nervous. “Is he easier to control now that he's not trying to reconnect himself?”

Finn laid back down on the bed, propping his head up with his hand as his gaze slid down between us. “He's getting restless. This threat has him on edge.”

“Why is he worried about it, though?” I asked, thinking about how Balor could just find another body if Finn were defeated. “It's not like he'll die if something happens to you.”

“No, but it took him thousands of years to find a body that could handle all of his strength. The possibility of him finding another anytime soon is unlikely.”

“Which means he'll go through a whole lot of humans to find one again,” I realized. The thought of Finn dying was heart wrenching in itself. The possibility of Balor killing human after human trying to find another one strong enough for him was terrifying.

Finn finally moved his eyes back up to mine, looking tense. “He already plans on trying to use you if I die.”

I guess that was why Balor liked me now... in his own twisted way, I thought. Fear poured through my veins at the thought of having to deal with Balor, and it must have been evident on my face. Finn immediately looked like he regretted telling me that bit of information.

“Why me?” I already guessed the answer, but I wanted to ask so that I could be sure.

“Your power. He knows he'd be invincible if your body could hold all of his soul and withstand his strength. To be honest, you more than likely would be able to do it. Your magic could heal any damage Balor would do to your body while in control, and he knows that.”

Finn laid back down on his back, pulling me tight against him again as he shut his eyes and started running his fingers through my hair again. “But don't worry, love. Just like you, I'll not go down easily. Balor and I have fought strong demons before, and I think we can handle this one.” 

After a few moments of silence, I felt Finn's fingers slowly stop playing with my hair. His breathing evened out, and I envied his sleep. I was anxious about the next morning, leaving me with nervous energy that had wound up inside me. Every time I tried to close my eyes, the images of battle and bloodshed painted the backs of my lids. I would rather be there with them, though. 

I started getting a paranoid feeling, almost like someone could appear at any moment. I thought about waking Finn up, but decided against it. He would need all the rest he could get before tomorrow if we were going to meet with The Undertaker.

Listening to the night sounds, I tried closing my eyes again. I could hear the dead leaves rustling on the ground in the gusts of wind outside, along with a few dogs barking in the neighborhood and the sound of a crow's caw. An hour must have passed before I finally slid into a light sleep.

 

The next morning, I woke up to the sounds of voices in my living room. I could hear Finn, Dean, and Seth talking amongst themselves. I quickly threw on a pair of jeans and a black, long sleeved shirt that had little silver bats all over it. Once I was dressed, I stepped out into the living room to see what everyone was talking about.

Dean was leaned back in the couch with his legs stretched out in front of him. He and Seth were both wearing black vests and dark pants that looked just like the ones they had on in the battle with Wyatt. I assumed that was just what they were comfortable fighting in, though.

Seth and Finn were standing in the middle of the room, the three of them discussing what they needed to look out for if we did find Shinsuke and The Undertaker.

“You finally awake?” Dean asked me when I stepped through the living room and into the kitchen.

“Not yet.” I walked to the fridge for a Pepsi, taking a huge gulp before returning to the living room with the others. “Now I am.”

Finn quietly laughed at me before he began to fill me in on the conversation. “We were just talking about what Shinsuke can do.”

“What can he do?” I asked as I sat down on the end of the couch, pulling my feet under me and focusing my attention on Finn.

He seemed to be in a better mood, though still on edge. His intense blue gaze looked well rested as he stared in my direction. I couldn't help myself when my eyes slipped down to the white t-shirt stretched across his broad chest, but as he began talking, I quickly got my mind back where it needed to be.

Finn turned serious again, going into battle plan mode. “Whatever you do, don't let him touch you. You felt that he could pull on your soul by just making contact, so you should know that he can pull it completely out of your body if he wanted to.”

I remembered Shinsuke trying to pull Balor out of me; the feeling of my own soul leaving my body was something I couldn't forget. That trick made me wish that I'd gotten more practice at dodging Seth's speed before we went head on at them.

“Can The Undertaker do that, too?” I wondered exactly what differences in power they had.

“No,” Finn answered, obviously having the most insight on The Undertaker's power. I was sure that Balor was telling him everything he knew about the grim reaper. “But once Shinsuke removes your soul, The Undertaker will consume it.”

“What are his powers then?” I was beginning to wonder why this guy had such a reputation if all he could do was eat souls.

“He can raise the dead. He could have an army of corpses at his disposal if he wanted,” Finn explained, tensing up as he spoke. “Shinsuke brings him the souls and the bodies follow, allowing The Undertaker to use them.”

The thought of an army of dead bodies sent my mind racing, especially since it was Halloween. If that kind of demon came around, he could have hordes of zombies, more or less, walking the streets around the trick-or-treaters and no one would think anything about it until they attacked.

“He also gains the abilities of every soul he takes. If he were to get Seth's soul, he could turn himself into a hellhound. If he were to get Balor's soul...” Finn trailed off, but I realized I wasn't entirely sure of everything that Balor could do, either.

“He would be able to throw fire then?” I asked, trying to get Finn to explain a little more of Balor's powers.

“Along with other things.” Finn obviously didn't want to talk about it, so I let it drop.

“This all means that The Undertaker's abilities might have changed since Balor fought him last,” Seth stated as he ran his hand through his hair. “It makes him almost unpredictable.”

“I like unpredictable.” Dean stood up and snatched my can of Pepsi from my hand. Before I realized what I was doing, I pushed my foot out from under me and into the back of Dean's knee, causing him to kneel on the floor and almost spill my drink onto the tiles.

“How's that for unpredictable?” I laughed as I took my can back from him before he could drink it.

“The training is going well then?” Finn asked as he chuckled at Dean on the floor.

“Can we just go already?” Dean asked as he got back to his feet and smiled. “I'm itching for a fight, and this one should be good.”

“Chill out, brother.” Seth rolled his eyes at Dean. “Remember, this is a sneak attack.”

“Aislin needs to eat something before we leave. No raids on an empty stomach.” Finn was smiling as he spoke, the tension slowly easing out of his body for the time being.

“What about you?” I asked as I stood up to move into the kitchen.

“I can't eat before a fight.” Finn followed me into the kitchen anyway, watching as I dug through the fridge.

After finding something to eat, I filled my stomach and we were ready to leave. We all stood in the living room, and I remembered that Dean had said The Undertaker was in Texas.

“Let me guess,” I started as I released a heavy sigh, my stomach already getting nauseous, “We're teleporting?”

“Grab on, Ai!” Dean was excited as he held his arm out to me.

I took a deep breath and prepared myself for the dizzying effect of the demon's transportation. I watched Seth put his arm on Finn's shoulder as I wrapped my hand around Dean's wrist, wishing I hadn't eaten so much.


	32. Chapter 32

I had closed my eyes when my body started to feel light, but when I opened them again I realized we were surrounded by small shrubs littered across an otherwise dirt covered land. I took a few steadying breaths as I attempted to see straight, finally releasing my death grip on Dean's wrist. The sun was beating down on us, making it feel like how a summer day would feel back home. It had to be eighty degrees, and I quickly regretted my long sleeves.

We were all standing behind a pile of boulders, hidden from sight of the dirt roads crisscrossed around the land. Dean and Finn leaned around the rocks, looking toward something.

“That's it,” Finn whispered as I peaked around the rock under him, noticing a mound of dirt that looked almost like a cave entrance. 

“But it doesn't look big enough to lead anywhere.” Seth had looked at the small hill and spoke the words I was thinking. “It only looks like a few people could fit in there.”

“We think it goes underground,” Finn explained, keeping his gaze trained on the entrance. “There were at least ten people who walked in there and never came out.”

“What are we waiting for?” Dean quickly looked around as his cerulean eyes began to glow. In a burst of light, he took on his hellhound form and sprinted toward the opening, his light brown fur almost blending in with the dirt around us.

Seth let out a sigh as a glow surrounded him, revealing the hound with dark fur and glowing brown eyes. He took off toward Dean, nipping at the backs of his legs as he tried to get him to slow down.

“I guess we're going then,” Finn mumbled as he took my hand and started running at a human speed toward the opening in the hill. 

I kept up, following close behind as I gripped Finn's pale hand tighter. My heart rate sped up as we got closer to the cave, and sweat began beading on my forehead under the sun's rays. All four of us had stopped just outside the entrance, peeking in to see the downward tilt of the land. It appeared as though it was a tunnel that did go underground, but no light was coming from deeper inside. The sight of the foreboding path made my hair stand on end. Something about not knowing what we were walking into sent my nerves on edge.

We all looked to Finn, who nodded his head as he slowly stepped in first. I was on his heels, his hand still holding onto mine. I could feel Dean's breath on the back of my calves as he tried to stay close to us. Seth brought up the rear, creeping along quietly on all fours, ready for any attackers who might come from behind us.

As we descended the slope, it almost seemed as though the dirt covered walls were closing in on us. My eyes were trying to adjust to the darkness, but after a few more steps, I couldn't see anything. Only having Finn's hand as a guide, I tried to keep pace with him as we moved forward; but my foot caught on a rock in the ground, sending me forward into Finn's back with a squeak of my voice. Finn tightened his grip on my hand slightly to steady me, and I felt his long nails graze against my skin. He turned to face me, his eyes now glowing with the fire from Balor.

It had been days since I had seen the red eyes gleaming in my direction. The sight made my stomach do flips as memories of those crimson orbs in the darkness at Raw returned to my mind. They were on my side again, though, and not trying to strangle me to death like they had been in my apartment. It brought back the feeling of relief that I had experienced the second and third time I had seen them outside of the bar.

I was suddenly pulled from my thoughts as I saw the fire form around Finn's vacant hand, the glow lighting my field of vision. He placed his burning finger to his lips in a “shh” motion as he let a small smile settle onto his face, the flames obviously not bothering his red and black patterned skin. We continued forward in silence when I could finally see the path we were on.

As I had suspected, the walls were getting narrower around us. After we had walked downward a few more steps, Finn was hunched over so he wouldn't hit his head on the top of the passageway. I could still stand at my full height since I was almost a foot shorter than Finn was, but as I looked down the path, I realized I wouldn't be able to stand up straight for much longer. The feeling of claustrophobia began to surround me as I found it harder to breathe. I was beginning to think we would end up trapped down here with no way back to the surface.

Just when I thought we'd all be on our hands and knees at the same level as the hellhounds, Finn stopped. There was a light coming from around the only curve we'd run into on our journey, and I thought it must have been the end of this tunnel. Finn put out the flame on his hand as he slipped closer to the turn, letting my hand slip away from his so that I would stay behind a few steps. After he peeked around the corner, he motioned for us to follow him.

I stepped around the turn and took in my surroundings. We had walked into an opening that looked like nothing more than a burrow, dug out just big enough for a group of maybe twenty people. The source of the light was a torch pushed into the wall of the cave, casting an eerie glow around the small space. The part of the room that grabbed my attention the most, however, was the pile of bodies lying at the far end.

There looked to be about ten bodies lying on the dirt floor—the same amount of people that Finn and Dean had seen enter this cave. Some of the bodies appeared human; but others had fangs, claws, and different hues of skin tones that I'd never seen on a human. My body began trembling, fear rising at the thought of these people dying so far under the ground that no one could hear their cries for help.

As my eyes scanned the group of corpses, I noticed one trying to move from his back to his stomach, but he failed. It was a demon with green skin that had mostly been ripped from his body. He was shirtless, and his bones protruded through what was left of his flesh, making him look like a very sickly man. I jumped back, shocked to see a body in that state still trying to move.

At my motion, Finn's glowing eyes quickly followed mine and saw the moving demon. He prepared to attack as Dean and Seth jumped in front of me to help defend against the still living enemy.

“He's... gone...” The demon tried to speak, but his faint voice was hardly above a whisper.

“Wait,” I said as I stepped in front of the hellhounds and Finn, getting closer to the demon who had managed to survive. “He's obviously been attacked. He can't be on their side. He might know something about The Undertaker that we can use.”

I wasn't sure why I was defending the demon, but something about the fact that he had been left here for dead made me feel sympathetic toward him. If he were lying here in a pile of bodies, almost killed by The Undertaker, why would he try to hurt us? Wouldn't he want revenge?

Finn watched as I crouched down to the man, staying at the ready in case he needed to jump in. I looked into the dull amber eyes of the demon and saw fear swirling in his vision. He seemed terrified, and justifiably so, I thought. 

“What do you know about The Undertaker?” I asked him in a quiet voice as I placed one hand on his bony chest and concentrated on my magic. I immediately felt some of the tension ease out of his frail frame as he tried to take a deep breath.

“He left us all here...” the demon whispered before letting out a sigh of relief as I felt my healing technique take effect in his body. “He thought we were all dead.”

I pushed harder on my magic, trying to give this demon another chance at life. I realized with a start that my hands had begun glowing once again, the light amethyst color reflecting from the demon's golden eyes as he stared down at my palm in amazement.

“What are you doing?” he asked, his scratchy voice sounding stronger as some of the flesh returned to his body.

“Healing you.” I realized that my breath was coming quicker as I exerted more energy, but I could get answers from this demon, so I wasn't giving up. I didn't have to release as much energy when I healed Finn the last time, so this was the first time I'd used so much since losing Balor's soul. I was surprised that I wasn't getting light-headed, but I was already prepared for it, holding myself up with my other palm on the ground. “How did he trick you into coming here?”

“He didn't trick me.” The demon closed his glowing eyes as he leaned his head back on the ground. “I was working under him, and he still did this to me. He left me alive on purpose, though.” The demon's voice was deep, and his words made Finn and the hellhounds visibly tense.

“Why did he leave you alive on purpose?” I continued questioning him as I healed him, the purple light reaching further into his body.

“To do this.” His growl took me by surprise.

The demon sat up and snapped his eyes open. He barred his fangs in my direction as I removed my hand from his body and stumbled back. He was reaching out to grab my shoulders at super-human speed, but before I realized what was happening, my reflexes kicked in. I forgot that I had back up, and instead took it upon myself to fight the demon off. I quickly threw a punch under his chin, causing his head to snap back. He fell back to the floor with a loud growl, but didn't stay there long. He was sitting up again before I could get ready for another attack.

As he jumped for me once more, Finn was suddenly between us. He took the demon's head in his grip and twisted it off of his body, letting it fall to the floor a few inches away. As I heard the skull hit the floor, I realized that the rest of the bodies were starting to twitch and move.

“It's a trap,” Finn realized, his two-toned voice more of a growl as he urgently took my arm and helped me to my feet. “The corpses are being controlled.”

I watched as the bodies started trying to stand up, all of them falling over each other as they attempted to untangle themselves in the pile. Finn's shining red eyes darted from corpse to corpse, trying to come up with a plan. Seth was quiet, looking from the bodies to Finn, presumably waiting to see what we were going to do. A growl rose from Dean's chest as he prepared for the attack.

“They're dead...” I thought out loud as an idea flashed through my mind. “Finn, those are dead bodies. Can't you do that light thing and make them disappear?”

Finn didn't hesitate before he dropped to his knees on the ground, ready to try. I watched as his hands began glowing with a white light that extended onto the floor and over to the pile of corpses. The only one that disappeared, however, was the demon who had his head ripped off at the hands of Finn. The other bodies continued struggling, obviously not bothered by Finn's power.

When he realized it wasn't working, Finn released the light and left the room in only the glow of the torch once again. He slowly stood back up as he mumbled a curse under his breath.

“They're dead, but they live at the same time.” He explained, his own voice dancing with that of Balor's. “If it were that easy, then this little trick would be a waste of his time.”

A woman's figure finally made it to her feet, her grey eyes glazed over as she stepped forward. Most of her pale skin was missing, just as the demon's had been. It seemed like all of the bodies had been ripped apart before being thrown into the pile. 

The woman didn't make any sound, but she started walking directly toward Finn. Without giving the corpses any more chances to get to their feet, Finn attacked. He jumped toward the woman, but she moved with the speed of a demon. 

At the same time, the hellhounds had began attacking the bodies still trying to make it to their feet. I watched as Seth bit into a man's chest before he began digging with his paws. After his digging, he bit down on the heart inside the man's rib cage and yanked it from his chest. To my surprise, the body continued trying to stand up.

One of the other bodies—an older looking man who had ash grey skin and grey hair left on his head—had finally made it to his feet and joined the woman in attacking Finn. Even though some of these forms looked like humans, they all possessed the strength and speed of demons. It was nothing like what I thought it would be. I had imagined an army of slow moving, lethargic zombies, but these reanimated bodies still had a power source somewhere.

My heart race picked up as I watched the bodies continue to fight, no matter how many times they were knocked down. I scanned my eyes across the room, trying to see any way I could help Finn and the hellhounds. Suddenly, an idea hit me.

“Everyone, move back to the tunnel,” I ordered as I grabbed the torch from the wall.

Finn's eyes moved up to see what I was doing, and a sly smile slid across his features as his fangs peeked out from in between his lips. The three men listened to me, quickly moving back to the entrance of the long passageway we had come through.

I tossed the flame into the middle of the pile of bodies, their ragged clothes and dead skin starting to blaze at an amazing pace. The woman and man who had managed to stand up were still coming toward us, though, but Finn quickly took care of them. Calling the flames to his hands, he threw the fire in their direction, knocking them back into the burning pile of bodies.

The smoke began rising through the tunnel, filling my lungs and nose with the smell of burning flesh. I started coughing as I tried to take shallow breaths, not wanting to inhale too much of the smoke. Finn noticed my struggle to breath, and quickly spoke.

“This is why I didn't want to use the fire in the first place, love,” he said as he wrapped me in his arms and nodded behind me. I felt another hand rest on the middle of my back before a familiar nausea hit me.


	33. Chapter 33

When I realized that we were out of the tunnels, I started taking deeper breaths of the fresh air around me. Finn stroked my back as he held me in a standing position with his arms still around me while coughs wracked my body. I tried to get myself under control, exhaling all of the smoke from my lungs as I squeezed my eyes closed tightly.

When I could finally breathe again, I tried to look up apologetically into Finn's bright blue gaze. He had let go of Balor sometime during our transportation, so I was sure that we were no longer in danger. 

“I'm sorry. I didn't even think of the smoke,” I admitted as I wiped my eyes with the sleeve of my shirt in an attempt to get them to stop watering. Between the haze irritating my eyes and the coughing fit I had just gotten over, I felt like they would never stop.

“You don't have to apologize,” Finn said softly as he continued to rub my back in a circular, comforting motion. “We're all fine. It's you that we're worried about.”

“You could have killed yourself if you'd gotten caught in those flames,” I heard Seth's steady voice say from behind me.

“She looked like she knew what she was doing to me,” Dean lightheartedly argued. “That plan was genius.”

“How are you feeling?” Finn interrupted their discussion, bringing his attention back to me. He had stopped his movements on my back and easily placed both of his hands on my upper arms, staring into my face to make sure I was okay.

“I feel fine now that I can breathe,” I answered as I released a small laugh. 

I turned away from Finn and started looking around then, noticing that we were outside of Roman's house, standing in his backyard. The trees in the backyard created shade that blocked the warm sun from hitting us, causing a shiver to run through my body. 

“Why are we here?” I wondered out loud.

“You needed fresh air, and I think your neighbors would have been a little freaked out if the four of us just popped up outside out of nowhere.” Dean explained their reasoning for not taking us back to my apartment. He had a point, I thought. Appearing in the middle of the day out of thin air might make people a little nervous.

“If that were a trap, it must mean that The Undertaker and Shinsuke expected us to show up.” Seth pointed out what had been in the back of my mind since the demon told us he had been left there alive on purpose to attack us.

“They've got to know we're alive,” Dean said as he ran a hand through his shaggy hair and shook his head.

“They must have noticed us sneaking around.” Finn looked over to Dean and Seth, obviously upset that we didn't have the advantage of unknown team members on our side anymore. “I just wonder when they would have seen us.”

“Do you think they know I'm alive, too?” I looked to Finn, hoping that at least we had a little bit of the surprise left. I wasn't out there looking for The Undertaker or Shinsuke, so I wasn't sure if I had been exposed or not.

“Probably.” He turned his steady gaze back to me. “I'm sure they've kept an eye on your apartment just to make sure you were dead. Especially after figuring out that they were alive.”

The paranoid feeling from the night before started to make sense with his words. Maybe I should have woken Finn when I felt like someone was going to show up, I thought to myself. How close were we to being attacked right then and there?

“We need to find somewhere else to stay.” Finn brought my thoughts back to what was happening then instead of what could have happened the night before.

“But where?” I asked, not sure of any place we could go to that wouldn't involve money or asking an innocent person to get involved with this. I didn't want to ask to stay with anyone from Raw because I didn't know any of them well enough to ask; and I didn't want to get anyone else mixed up with this dangerous situation.

“You could stay here with us,” Seth offered as he gestured toward the back door of the house. “There are three bedrooms, so we have a spare.”

“Do you still think Shinsuke doesn't know about this place, though?” I wasn't sure if anywhere would be safe now that the enemy knew we were alive. They would probably find us no matter where we decided to stay.

“He probably does.” Finn's voice seemed as though he didn't like the idea, but he had no other choice for now. “We can stay here for tonight, though. The hellhounds and I can take turns keeping watch while the others sleep, just in case.”

“We can figure out something more permanent tomorrow,” Seth suggested as he released a short sigh and crossed his arms over his chest.

“We need to find them before we have to worry about something more permanent.” Dean had started getting antsy, I noticed. He was moving his gaze between Seth and Finn, waiting on one of them to plan the next move.

“Aislin, why don't you go inside.” Finn said as he placed his hand at the small of my back, almost as if he were trying to make me move in the direction of the door. “If The Undertaker set a trap, I'm sure he's still around there somewhere. He had to be close by in order to control the bodies. We may be able to figure out where he went.”

“Why can't I go with you?” I asked as I turned back toward him.

“Because we aren't even sure if we'll find him.” Finn let his hand slip away from me as I gave him a disappointed look. He tried to make me feel better about staying behind for now, though. “If we find anything, we'll come back for you.”

“Dean can stay here with you, if it'll make you feel better.” Seth moved his gaze to Dean, who he knew would have an argument for this idea.

“So now I'm on the sidelines, too?” Dean almost seemed offended by being asked to stay behind with me, and it made me feel bad for him. “Why don't we all just go?”

“We're just looking right now.” Seth assured him. “I don't know how easy it'll be for all four of us to sneak around.” He had a point, as much as I hated admitting it. “Anyway, you always get bored when we're just waiting and watching. Like Finn said, we'll come back for you. You know we'll need you to fight.”

“Just promise if you find him, you'll come get us before you try anything. Both of us.” I added the last part, unsure if they would just grab Dean and leave me behind.

“I promise, darlin'.” Finn smiled at me as he once again put his hands on my arms, trying to rub away the rising goosebumps on my skin. “Now get inside before you freeze, please.”

I looked over to Dean, who let out a huff of air. “Fine.” He held out the word before he turned, motioning for me to follow him. “Come on, Ai. Let's go find some food or something.”

I giggled at Dean, realizing that he almost seemed like a little kid who had been told he could only go to play if he behaved.

After saying bye to Finn and Seth, I followed Dean into the house through the back door. We entered through the kitchen, where Dean immediately went to raid the fridge. 

“Are you hungry?” he asked me as he dug through the drawers of the refrigerator.

“No, it's not been long since I ate breakfast.” I didn't want to eat again, anyway. If they found something soon and came back for us, I wasn't willing to lose my lunch after teleporting. I'd come close to that after eating earlier, so I was going to be ready this time.

“Me neither.” Dean straightened up and shut the fridge, abandoning the idea of food. “What do you want to do while we wait?”

An idea ran through my mind, so I figured I'd see if Dean was up for it. “Do you want to train with me? I need to get better at dodging demon speed if I need to stay away from Shinsuke.”

Dean let out a loud, short laugh before answering. “Yeah, sure! Seth said you were a quick learner. I just don't know how good of a teacher I am.”

“I'm sure you'll be fine.” I was starting to feel better about having to stay behind since it gave me a chance to work with a different demon. I was worried that I would only be able to help if the attacking demon moved just like Seth did, but practicing with Dean would give me more experience.

We walked down to the finished basement and I watched Dean transform into the beige colored hellhound, his deep blue eyes shimmering as he walked around the perimeter of the room, almost like a caged animal. He came up to me, standing almost even with my chest on all fours, and he cocked his head to the side. His ears pointed in my direction, like he was waiting on me to say when to start.

Without thinking, I reached down to pet his head. Dean released a deep bark before turning back into the human standing in front of me.

“You realize I'm not a dog, right,” he said around a laugh.

“I just couldn't help it,” I defended my actions as I rolled up the sleeves of my shirt.

“Yeah, yeah.” He stood back with a smile, ready to transform once again. “You sure you don't want to just go get some doughnuts or something and watch a movie?”

I laughed at his suggestion. “Nope.”

“Okay, suit yourself. I'm not sure how Seth does this, but I'm just going to attack. You're going to have to get used to demons not telling you their plans anyway.” He smiled as the white light surrounded him again, once more replacing the man with the hellhound.

I stood ready, but Dean surprised me when he stayed true to his word. He came at me, teeth barred, seemingly ready to take me out. Fear struck me for half a second before I jumped out of his way and turned around to face him again as quickly as I could. I learned from Seth that demons wouldn't wait on you to turn around before attacking from behind if you dodged their first move.

On instinct, I threw my leg out toward Dean as he came back for me, the kick hitting him right in the muzzle. He stopped short before shaking his head. His mouth almost looked like he was smiling as he came back at me again, faster this time.

Dean had a very different teaching method than Seth, and I appreciated that. Seth seemed to always hold back, afraid that he would hurt me. He made sure I knew which direction he would be coming from before he actually lunged. 

Seth helped me figure out how to keep up with the speed once I knew where it was going, but Dean was showing me the unpredictability of an actual enemy attack. He seemed like he was using his full speed on me with no warning of what was going through his mind, something I would have to get used to. I felt like I would benefit more from Dean's help at this point, because he was right. The enemy wasn't going to make sure I was ready and tell me what they were going to do before doing it.

I jumped out of his way again, but slipped on my own foot and fell onto my hip. Dean didn't panic like Seth had when I'd fallen. Instead, he took the opportunity to lunge toward me, like a real enemy would. I rolled onto my back and raised my feet, meeting his stomach as he came over me. I pushed him away with my legs, causing him to land a few inches from me. I scurried back to a standing position as he recovered from the fall he had taken. 

We went back and forth, giving it our all for almost an hour. One last time, Dean lunged for me, his fangs coming straight for my throat. I ducked before I heard him land behind me, turning myself in a crouching motion to face him again. I couldn't bring myself to make it back to my feet before he jumped over and put his huge paws on my shoulders, knocking me onto my backside. 

I started laughing through my heavy breathing as I reached up to pet the thick fur on his head again. He backed up and became the man once more, laughing with me.

“Okay, I'm done,” he said as he steadied his own breathing. “I'm ready for some food now.”

It was almost like my stomach could hear and understand Dean's words, because it started growling right on cue. We walked back up to the kitchen and I started looking through the cabinets. I found enough ingredients to make spaghetti, so I decided to cook enough for all four of us, knowing that Finn and Seth would probably be hungry when they got back. I just hoped they'd have enough time to eat.

“Ya know,” Dean started saying as he watched me mix the pasta and sauce together, “you could probably kick Finn's ass if he'd let you try.”

I laughed at him, not taking my eyes from the food I was preparing. “Yeah, maybe if he weren't using Balor.”

“Well, yeah,” Dean replied as he went to the fridge for drinks. “No one can beat him if he's using Balor.”

“That's what we're hoping for.”

“I didn't hurt you, did I?” Dean's question took me by surprise. He was usually one to not think about his actions, so I wasn't sure why he'd be worried about it.

I turned around and gave him a reassuring smile. “Nope. And even if you did, I can heal, remember?”

“Yeah, I guess you don't have to worry about little cuts and scrapes, huh?” He returned my smile as he sat down at the table, being still for the first time since we'd returned from the tunnel.

“I can do more than fix little cuts and scrapes, remember?” I told him as I scooped out spaghetti onto plates for the two of us, putting the rest of it in the refrigerator to save for Finn and Seth.

“Yeah, you can cook some amazing spaghetti, too,” he joked as he took a bite of the food. “Roman should have swept you up when he had the chance. You'd have made a hell of a sister.” I released a nervous laugh, not sure what to make of that comment, but Dean was quickly backtracking. “Not that I don't like Finn. And not that you aren't like a sister to us anyway. You're a part of this pack now, whether you want to be or not.”

His words reminded me of what Seth had said the first time I'd come to train with him. He'd told me that he and Dean had my back, whether I liked it or not. My heart became warm as I decided I liked being a part of their family. Finn, Dean, and Seth were the only people I could trust anymore, and I'd come to love them all in different ways.

I laughed as I sat down across from Dean at the table. I was beginning to wonder what was taking Finn and Seth so long. It had been two hours since they had left, and they still weren't back. Worry started making it hard for me to eat my food.

“Hey, don't sweat it,” Dean said, obviously feeling the shift in my mood. “They're fine. If they got into trouble, Seth would bring them both back here.”

“I just can't help but to worry,” I admitted, watching my fork spin around the spaghetti in my plate. 

As soon as the words were out of my mouth, Dean started smiling. Something behind me had caught his attention, so I turned around to see what it was. Finn and Seth were standing behind me, both wearing serious expressions as Finn held out a piece of paper with burned edges.


	34. Chapter 34

I stood up, ignoring what was left of the food on my plate. Dean realized that Finn was holding something, so he came around the table to inspect it.

“We found this when we went back down the passageway to the bodies,” Finn said, his voice low as he held up the small piece of paper for me and Dean to see. “We decided to go back down there after the smoke stopped billowing out of the entrance.”

I looked from Finn's concentrated gaze to the crumpled up, burned paper in his grasp. There were words written on it, the letters jagged with no curves. 

“DEATH VALLEY. WEDNESDAY NIGHT. 9PM. ALL 4 OF YOU.”

“This is an invitation,” Finn told us as he dropped the paper to the kitchen table.

“Tomorrow is Wednesday. Are we supposed to go to Death Valley tomorrow night?” I questioned, once again watching Finn's eyes as he finally let the edges soften around them.

“That's probably what he wants,” Seth answered, running a hand through his long hair.

“Isn't Death Valley in the Mojave Desert?” I asked, not sure of exactly where we were going to be headed this time.

“It's in southern California, if I remember correctly,” Finn replied as he looked to Seth for confirmation.

“Yeah. It's a lot of land to cover, though,” Seth told us, his gaze moving to the floor. “It's going to be hard to figure out exactly where we need to be.” 

“Let's go figure it out now, then.” Dean was once again getting excited about being able to do something instead of just sitting around waiting.

Seth looked back up to Dean and gave him a hard expression, but it slowly faded as he realized what Dean said wasn't completely insane. “If we can find out where they are beforehand, we may be able to scope everything out and come up with a plan.”

“I'm sure they'll make it obvious tomorrow night.” Finn brought everyone's attention back to him. “If he's toying with us like this, he may be expecting us to show up early.”

“If we can find them, though, we can see if they've got help.” Seth was fully on board with Dean's idea now.

“If you two want to go look, that's fine by me.” Finn gave a sigh as he held his hands up in defeat. “Just make sure you don't let them see you.”

“Wait, Seth,” I called for his attention before he and Dean could vanish. “Eat something before you go.” I walked over to the fridge to retrieve the food I had made. “There's some here for you, too, Finn.”

Finn looked at me and smiled warmly as I took the food out of the refrigerator to heat it up for him and Seth. They both sat down at the table as I placed their plates in front of them and joined them. Dean, who had already eaten, took to pacing the kitchen floor, not so patiently waiting for Seth to be ready to go.

“Do you need anything from your apartment for tonight?” Finn asked before taking a bite of the spaghetti.

I hadn't even thought of the things I'd need from my place, so I was glad Finn had reminded me. I didn't want to stay in my sweaty, smoke covered clothes all night. “Yeah, I probably need to grab a few things. I definitely need a change of clothes.”

Finn nodded, saying, “We'll go over there and get your things while they're away, then.”

“My car isn't here,” I realized, immediately regretting eating. That was why I didn't want to eat anything when we first got here; I knew if we had to use demon transportation, I'd get sick. Finn gave me a sympathetic look, knowing that I didn't care for teleporting or smoke traveling.

“Use Roman's car,” Dean suggested as he walked over to the key holder hanging beside the back door and took a key off of it. 

He handed the key to me, and I placed it in my pocket. “Are you sure? You won't need it?”

“Do you really think we're going to drive all the way across the country to Death Valley?” Dean asked as his eyes lit up in a smile.

I shrugged my shoulders at him and smiled. “I was just making sure.”

After everyone was finished eating, Seth and Dean went to start their search of Death Valley. Finn helped me clean up the dishes, and then we were ready to head back to my apartment. When we stepped outside, the sun was already starting to set behind the mountains, the air chilling by a few degrees.

I took the driver's seat in the car, leaving Finn to take the passenger seat as I turned the key in the ignition and switched the heater on.

“I don't like this,” Finn said after we had started the drive home.

“Which part of this?” I asked him, not sure if he meant staying with the hellhounds, using Roman's car, or going to find The Undertaker tomorrow.

“Them going to search right now.” His eyes landed on me as I watched him from the corner of my vision. “It just seems like a trap. That note was left right on top of the pile of burned bodies when Seth found it.”

“Tomorrow night might be a trap, but that's why it's a good thing they're going to search now, isn't it?”

“I have a feeling they knew we'd go search the place out first,” Finn admitted as he balled his fists in his lap and turned his gaze down. “It just all seems so suspicious. I haven't noticed anyone watching us, and I was sure that we were out of sight every time I went with one of them to check on leads.”

“Maybe The Undertaker didn't know that Seth and Dean would be there. Maybe he thought it would be just you going into that cave to find him.” I tried to reason with Finn, hoping that it would calm his nerves, but I wasn't sure if it was helping.

He relaxed his fists as he looked out the window. “He obviously knows about the three of you being alive now, though. The note said 'all four of you'.”

I couldn't argue that fact. We had lost the element of surprise as far as how many were fighting with Finn went. The only thing we could do now was wait on Seth and Dean and hope they figured out exactly what we were up against.

“Aislin,” Finn said quietly, pulling me from my thoughts. I glanced in his direction before returning my eyes to the road, waiting on him to continue. “Maybe it's not a good idea for you to come with me.”

“I thought we already talked about this?” 

“I don't mean just you. I mean all three of you. You and the hellhounds.” Finn spoke in a whisper, his eyes trained on his hands in his lap. “Maybe you should just let me and Balor deal with this.”

“Finn, you said yourself that even at his full strength, he couldn't manage to kill The Undertaker. You have to realize that he's got Shinsuke for help now, so you'd have no chance alone.” 

I was wondering where this was coming from all of a sudden. Finn was more than happy to accept Shinsuke's help when he thought the shinigami was on his side, but now he had two other demons wanting to fight with him. Why didn't he want to accept the help? He knew there was no way Balor could defeat The Undertaker and Shinsuke, along with whatever demons they might have on their side, so I couldn't figure out why he wanted us to all stay back.

“I know.” Finn kept his voice low, breathing out a sigh before continuing. “I'm just tired of putting other people in danger for me. I'm tired of trusting people just for them to turn on me. First it was Wyatt who betrayed me, then Shinsuke.”

“But I'm not going to betray you,” I assured him as I chanced another glance at him.

“It's not you I'm worried about.” 

“Seth and Dean aren't going to turn on you, either. Finn, they don't want to have anything to do with The Undertaker anymore.”

He was quiet as he thought over my words. 

“Do you trust me?” I asked him as I turned down the side road to get to my apartment.

“With my life.” His answer was immediate, no hesitation in his voice.

“Then believe me when I say that you can trust Dean and Seth. I've seen the way Seth talks about wanting to be free from doing other people's dirty work. I've noticed how Dean is always willing to jump into these things just so he can be rid of The Undertaker and this threat we're all living with right now.” I reached over and took one of the hands Finn had placed in his lap. “They're on our side.”

His eyes slid up to mine as he gently squeezed my fingers in his. “I hope you're right.”

When we got to my apartment, I reached for the handle on the front door and realized that the door was ajar. I knew I had shut it before we left that morning, but I couldn't remember whether I had locked it or not. Finn noticed my hesitation at the door and quickly saw the reason for it. 

His eyes flared red, staying that way as he stepped in front of me and slowly pushed the door open, ready for whoever was inside. 

“Is that you, Aislin?” A female voice shouted from the bathroom as I heard that door open.

My mother rounded the corner and Finn quickly closed his eyes, taking a deep breath to change them back to the electric blue ones that wouldn't scare my mom. My heartbeat picked up speed as I wondered how long she'd been there and if anyone had noticed her come in. If The Undertaker and Shinsuke knew that I was alive, they'd no doubt keep eyes on my apartment. My nerves began to fray as I thought of the demons finding my mom in my home.

She didn't look like she'd gotten into any trouble, though. Her long brown hair was still perfectly in place around her face—not a tangled mess like it would be if she'd been attacked—and her blue-grey eyes crinkled as she smiled at me. They quickly lost their excitement, however, as her gaze landed on Finn.

“Oh, who is this?” She motioned to Finn as he opened his now sparkling blue eyes and gave her a kind smile. 

I was surprised at how well he hid the worries that he'd had on the drive here. It seemed as though nothing was bothering him anymore. I realized that was probably what he was doing the first time I'd seen him in Raw, too. He didn't seem bothered about anything then until I mentioned his reason for being here. 

“My name's Finn, ma'am,” he said as he stepped up to her and held out his hand for her to shake. “I'm a friend of Aislin's.”

“Finn, this is my mom, Kathleen.” I glanced up to him, but he was still smiling in my mom's direction.

“A friend?” she asked as she cautiously took his outstretched hand. She looked up to his face, almost as if she were studying him. I wasn't sure if she knew who Finn held inside of him, but she seemed to be very rigid when she let go of his hand.

“Yes, a friend, Mom.” I squeezed in between her and Finn as I gave her a welcoming hug.

As mad as we were at each other when we last spoke in person, I was glad when she returned my hug with a fierceness that showed how much she had missed me. I didn't realize how much I needed to see her until she was actually in front of me. Even at twenty-six years old, I still wanted my mom from time to time.

I wanted to ask her about everything. Why she didn't tell me about my magic, why she didn't warn me about Cass or Wyatt, what exactly did she know about Balor? I wanted to sit down and have a heart-to-heart conversation with her and tell her about everything that I had gone through, but that would have to wait, I thought. I needed to get my things and get her out of my apartment—especially if The Undertaker or Shinsuke were anywhere around.

I wasn't sure if she knew anything about the new threat, so I wasn't going to mention it. The last thing I wanted was for her to panic on me.

“Hey, why don't we go grab something to eat?” I tried to sound as cheerful as I could, but the butterflies in my stomach continued to flutter. The paranoid feeling from the night before had returned, and I needed to get us out of there. “We can go by Raw and grab some supper.”

“Is that the bar you work at now?” she asked as she reached for her dark grey jacket that she'd laid across the back of the couch.

“Yeah, it is. You can meet all of my co-workers.” I gave her my best excited smile, hoping she wouldn't ask why I was trying to rush us out. The feeling like someone could pop up at any minute was beginning to get worse.

“Why don't just you and I go?” My mom asked as she slid her arms through her jacket. “You know, like a girl's night? I was hoping we could spend some time together—just the two of us.”

I glanced to Finn, hoping he could come up with any reason to not leave us alone. With everything going on, I felt like we would be sitting ducks if we went out without him.

As I met Finn's eyes, I noticed his irises gleam crimson for a fraction of a second. Before I could react, I heard Seth's frantic yell from behind me.

“Aislin! He needs help!” Seth was begging as he knelt over Dean, who was lying almost lifeless on my living room floor.

Blood covered Dean's chest and I noticed the stab wound that had just missed the spot above his heart. Scratches and bite marks were scattered over his ashen skin. I realized he was breathing, but only barely. His eyes were shut tight as a low groan of pain came from his throat.

I didn't think twice about my mother being in the room as I let my knees hit the floor beside Dean. The only thing I could think of was healing him, so I pushed my long hair behind my shoulders and placed my hands on his bloody chest, already concentrating on my magic. I wasn't going to let another friend die. This was my chance to help, and I'd be damned if I didn't get it right this time.

“What happened?” I heard Finn ask, his voice slowly slipping into a familiar growl.

“We were ambushed,” Seth said as he watched me start to pour my magic into Dean.


	35. Chapter 35

My hands started glowing with the light amethyst color of my magic, the shining light quickly flowing through my fingers and into Dean's cooling body with an almost tickling sensation. Dean let out a light gasp as his smaller wounds slowly started closing, but the stab wound near his heart didn't look as if it were getting any smaller. If it were caused by the blade that could kill immortals, then I knew I'd have to push harder to heal it.

The next few minutes all seemed to happen in a heartbeat. Everything was moving so quickly around me as I tried to keep my focus on healing Dean.

“Shinsuke still has the dagger. He jumped us,” Seth's rushed voice said as he looked between me, Finn, my mother, and Dean.

“We need to get out of here.” I could tell by his gravely accent that Finn had pulled the demon's power. I knew that if I turned around, I would see the red and black patterns decorating his skin, along with the crimson eyes glowing in his face. He was ready for an attack, not wanting to get blind-sided like Dean obviously had. “This is going to be the first place they look if they come after us right now while Dean is down.”

“Everyone, hold on to each other,” Seth commanded as he placed his hands on Deans shoulder. “I'll try to get us all out of here at once.”

My concentration on Dean broke for a split second as I turned around to look for my mom. She was standing in silence a few steps behind me, her rain cloud colored eyes wide as she took in what was happening around us. 

“Mom, I know you know what's going on. Just listen to him!” I called to her before once again trying to close the wound on Dean's chest. 

I felt the pool of magic in my body slowly draining away from me, trickling into Dean instead. I imagined the trickle turning into a stream, and then a river, as I forced it to flow faster into the hellhound. I was hoping that I could continue to heal him while we transported away, not wanting to give the injury an opportunity to kill him before I could fix it.

I felt Finn's warm hand at my back as he crouched down with me. I vaguely heard him whisper words of encouragement into my ear, but I found it hard to understand what he was saying through the static in my mind. My vision started to get blurry as the glowing around Dean's body intensified. The stab wound didn't appear to be shrinking, but I was hoping that was because the internal damage was being healed first.

My mom finally put her shaking hand against my shoulder as I forced myself to push through the light headed feeling. As soon as she made contact, however, I felt a sharp pressure erupt from my muscles where her hand was lying. The sensation ran throughout my body, causing me to cry out in pain before my magic completely stopped flowing against my wishes, almost like someone had pulled the drain and stolen the rest of it before I could use it.

My vision went blank and my own breath stopped as I felt myself start to fall forward. Finn took me in his arms before my face could land on Dean's bloodied chest, holding me against his own warm chest protectively as I began to fill my lungs once more. When I could see again, I realized that Finn was staring at my mom, his red gaze holding an accusatory attribute that I wasn't expecting. He curled his lip in a snarl as he let a low sound escape his throat.

I turned so that I could see her, but I didn't notice anything that she'd done that would pull that reaction from Finn. She was looking back and forth from the hand she'd touched me with, back to me, her whole body shaking. It looked as if she'd also felt the same shocking sensation that I had.

“What did you do?” Finn growled at her as his grip tightened around me.

She had trouble forming words as she tried to speak around her own heavy breaths. “I don't... I didn't... Are you okay?” Her eyes jumped to me again, waiting for my answer.

I didn't respond to her question as my gaze moved back to Dean. Through the fog in my brain, I convinced myself to sit back up and put my blood covered palms on his chest once again. Finn held me steady, his hands on either side of my shoulders as he moved behind me. His gleaming eyes never left my mother.

I noticed that Dean's breathing had gotten a little stronger, but it still wasn't as strong as it needed to be, I thought. I closed my eyes tight and started concentrating again.

When I realized that nothing was happening, I began to panic. I wasn't sure what that stinging pain had been, but it had obviously messed with my abilities. I tried to find the place deep within my body that I always pulled my magic from, but it felt empty. I pushed anyway, trying to find any last bit of my power to help Dean. 

My vision got fuzzy again as I tried pulling the magic out, but I couldn't feel the familiar tingling of the energy coming through me. I could feel nothing but Dean's cooling blood on my hands as his chest heaved up and down.

“What happened?” I asked out loud, not expecting an answer. “It's not working!”

“You have to give your magic time to recover.” My mom's soft voice was closer now. 

I realized that she had moved beside of me, careful not to make contact again. I wasn't sure if she was afraid of the sharp pain coming back or if she just didn't want to interfere with what I was doing. She could have also been trying to keep her distance from Finn, who was still shining his blood colored eyes in her direction, holding me up by my shoulders.

“I still had magic left before...” I trailed off as I looked up into her comforting gaze.

She seemed like she wanted to say something, but she didn't get the chance.

“You've fixed most of him,” Seth interrupted us, his tone much calmer as he inspected Dean's injuries. “He's going to take time to heal, but I think he's going to survive.”

“As soon as I can, I'll heal him completely.”

I was determined to help more than this. I wasn't just supposed to make sure he survived; I was supposed to get any of them back into fighting shape when they got hurt. 

I moved my stare back down to Dean, watching his chest rise and fall with his shallow breathing. I finally started to let my nerves settle down once I realized that he wasn't going to die. I just needed to figure out what caused that pain, and what drained the rest of my magic from me.

“We still need to move.” Finn's reminder that the enemy could pop up at any moment sent my pulse back into over-drive. “Seth, if you can't take us all at once, then take the ladies somewhere first. You can come back for me and Dean as soon as they're safe.”

Seth took one last look at Dean's body on the floor, almost like he didn't want to leave his brother lying there. He stood up and walked over to me and my mother, leaning down to lay a blood covered hand on each of our shoulders. Finn released his hold on me and moved back, not allowing his steady gaze to leave my face. He had either gotten over whatever animosity he was feeling toward my mother, or he was doing a good job at hiding it.

“We'll be right behind you, love.” Finn tried to make a smile appear on his lips, but it wasn't sitting right. He still looked tense, almost like he could feel a threat approaching.

I didn't even try to return his smile because I knew I couldn't do it. I was too nervous about everything that was happening. Between Dean and Seth being attacked, my magic suddenly disappearing, and my mom coming for a surprise visit just one day before we were supposed to meet The Undertaker and whatever friends he had, I just couldn't muster a fake smile.

I felt the nausea starting, so I closed my eyes tight and reached both of my hands up to place them over Seth's grip on my shoulder, not wanting him to accidentally drop me somewhere in a teleportation void. I wasn't sure exactly how it worked, but I didn't want to take any chances.

Within seconds, the dizzying trip was over. I felt cold earth beneath my knees as I took a few deep breaths of fresh air. Opening my eyes, I saw that we were outside, the cool breeze running across my body causing goosebumps to rise on my skin. Night had fallen, and the temperature had fallen with it. I wished that I had known we were going to end up outside, because my long sleeves were doing little to hold off the chilly wind.

With a start, I realized that the place Seth had brought us to looked familiar in the moonlight that now shone above us. We were in the middle of a large clearing, the almost full moon shining down on us. My vision danced over the trees circling around, finally finding Seth behind me.

I gripped his hand tighter between both of mine as I watched him remove his other palm from my mother, leaving a bloody hand print on her grey jacket. She was bent over herself on her knees, breathing heavily like she may throw up thanks to the quick transportation.

“Seth, what are we doing here?” 

My heartbeat quickened as I let my eyes once again roam the clearing. I noticed the exact spot that Roman was lying in after he had gotten stabbed by Wyatt, the ground that I had fallen to after Balor forced me to jump in between Finn and Shinsuke's attack, and the thick tree that I had been hiding behind when Seth dragged me out into the open for Wyatt to see. 

“I'm sorry,” Seth apologized as he looked down to me. It seemed as though he'd just realized what he had done, but it was too late to change it. “I just thought that this would be the last place anyone would look for us. Let me go get Dean and Finn, then we'll figure out a better place to go.”

“Just hurry, please.” I released Seth's hand to wipe my own bloody palms on my jeans.

I could feel Seth disappear as I turned toward my mom, trying to look at anything but the scenery. I noticed she was finally lifting her head to look around, her gaze confused as she took in the view of trees and forest.

“Where are we?” she asked, her voice sounding stronger than I thought it would. She turned her blue-grey eyes to me and studied my face, waiting for my answer.

“We're... you know what, it doesn't matter.” I stopped myself, not wanting to tell her about what had happened here one week prior. I wanted answers before we talked about anything else. “Mom, what do you know?”

“I know what you are. I know what...who Finn is.” She sighed, turning her head to the ground. “What I don't know is why you're caught up in all of this still. I had heard that Wyatt was killed. I heard that you had died. That's why I was so desperate to hear from you that last time I called.”

She turned to look back up into my face, but a bright light radiating from behind me caught both of our attention before we could speak again. I immediately knew it wasn't Seth returning. He didn't glow when he transported. Finn moved in the mist, giving no light whatsoever. The only person I'd seen transport in a blinding white light was...

I turned and my blood ran cold. Standing over me was Shinsuke, his body bowed down with one hand at his stomach and the other in the air, just like he'd done when I first met him. I noticed that he held Finn's dagger in his hand, cradled against his stomach carefully.

He turned his gaze in my direction and smiled, the motion sending my mind racing. I jumped up to my feet, ready to try to fight him off, but he didn't try to attack me. Instead, he surprised me by speeding toward my mother and taking her hand, lifting her to her feet. In the blink of an eye, he had the still blood covered blade of the dagger at her throat, almost daring me to make a move. My mom let out a whimper as Shinsuke pressed the blade against her skin, putting just enough pressure on it to draw the slightest bit of blood.

“Stand down, Ai-chan,” he whispered, his accented voice something I never wanted to hear again. 

The smile remained on Shinsuke's face as he watched me relax my body. I placed my hands up in front of me in surrender, showing him that I had no tricks up my sleeve. He slowly walked the few steps over to me, still holding my mom's wrist in his grasp.

“I guess... I need to clean the hellhound's dirty blood off this thing.” Shinsuke almost laughed as he wiped the short blade of the dagger on his black pants, careful not to accidentally cut himself.

“Let her go,” I pleaded with him as I looked up into his dark eyes. 

I noticed his gaze flicker behind me before I heard Finn's roar of rage. In a heartbeat, Shinsuke threw my mom away from us and grabbed the wrist I had held up in front of him. Before I could say another word, nausea hit me. My head started spinning and my body felt light. When there was ground under my feet once more, I felt a blunt object hit the back of my head before I was forced into a deep sleep.


	36. Chapter 36

_**Finn** _

The shinigami slipped through his fingers, along with Aislin. 

When Finn's body had become solid again, he had immediately sensed trouble. As soon as his vision cleared, his sight had landed on Shinsuke, who was holding his dagger against Aislin's mother. Finn knew he had to move. 

When Shinsuke had thrown the older woman to the ground and replaced her with Aislin in his grasp, Finn's anger flared much higher. He reached for her as he let the demon's growl come through his voice, but both Aislin and Shinsuke were gone before he could close his arms around her smaller frame.

Finn straightened his back and let out another fury filled yell before grinding his jagged fangs together.

“Why did you bring us here?” He demanded an answer from Seth as he stalked his way over to the hellhound. 

Finn's shaking fists were balled up at his sides, an attempt to not lash out at the man who Aislin promised was on their side. He could feel his long claws cutting into his own flesh as he clenched his fists tighter, but he welcomed the stinging sensation. Anything that reminded him he was still human was also a reminder that he needed to hold back the demon inside of him. 

Balor was furious with this turn of events, as well. He had his own selfish reasons, but the demon wanted Aislin back safe just as much as Finn did. He quickly made his deep voice heard in Finn's mind as he attempted to slip past the barriers Finn had built to hold Balor back.

_Kill all of them and go after her. You only need me to defeat that damn reaper._

Finn ignored Balor's voice, something that he had gotten good at doing over the past hundred years. Normally, Finn could block the voice in his mind out completely, not even hearing a whisper of it, but at that moment, he couldn't get focused enough to shut the demon up. As much as he wanted to give into the temptations, he couldn't kill Seth or Dean. He knew Balor was just overly confident, and the Demon King would definitely need the help of their allies for this battle. 

Of course, Finn thought, Balor may just be trying to talk him into heading for this battle alone so that The Undertaker can successfully kill him and Balor can be set free to move into Aislin. That was one thing Finn would not let happen.

“I don't know.” Seth was almost panicking as he stared over into Finn's gleaming eyes in the moonlight and ran a hand through his tangled hair. “It was the first place that came to mind. I didn't think Shinsuke would find us here.” It almost seemed as though Seth were pleading with Finn to believe him.

_He's going to turn on you just like the others. How else would the shinigami have known to come here?_

“You didn't think that Shinsuke would check everywhere we've already been?” Finn's two-toned voice was raised, ready to unleash his frustration on the first thing that moved.

“I didn't think he'd look here.” Seth's voice was getting louder, his anger obviously rising up at Finn's lashing out at him.

_Why did the shinigami only attack one of the hellhounds?_

“Why didn't Shinsuke attack you, Seth?” Finn let Balor's observation be heard in a low accusation as he wondered why he hadn't noticed that himself. “You haven't a scratch on you.”

“What are you insinuating, Balor?” Seth's pitch matched Finn's as the irises of his eyes began to glow the mahogany brown color, ready for the conversation to turn into a fight.

_He probably attacked the hurt hellhound to get him out of the way. He's still working for the reaper._

“Are you sure you didn't attack Dean yourself?” The idea that Seth had attacked and tried to kill his best friend just to help The Undertaker was something that Finn desperately hoped Balor was wrong about.

Seth's eyes shone brighter as his breathing grew heavier, obviously trying to control his own emotions. “Don't even. Dean is the only family I have left.” He paused for a moment before adding, “Dean and Aislin.”

_He already tried to kill the girl once before. Why wouldn't he do it again?_

“And what about Aislin? You couldn't kill her in this spot the first time, so you're taking another try?” Finn couldn't stop himself from speaking, even though he wanted to trust Seth as much as Aislin had.

“What would I gain with her dying? She's done nothing but help us since we decided to fight The Undertaker with you!” Seth threw his hands in the air, his voice once again gaining volume as the animosity between the two grew even further.

_He thinks you're too weak to beat The Undertaker. He knows I'd be unbeatable with her abilities._

“You didn't like the thought of me dying in this battle and Balor taking over Aislin, so you decided to send her to die with Shinsuke so that Balor wouldn't be unstoppable with her magic.” Once again, Finn let Balor's voice coax him into growling the words at Seth.

“I would never put her in danger on purpose!” Seth shouted, but his voice grew quiet again with his next words. “Unlike you. You got her into this whole mess to begin with.”

“I've done nothing but try to protect her!” Finn's conscious reminded him that it was his fault Aislin had gotten so deeply involved with the demons, but he wasn't going to let Seth have that point. Finn had tried his hardest to keep her out of danger after Wyatt had set his sights on her. Wyatt was the one to blame for Aislin getting involved in the first place.

“You did a damn good job at that, huh?” Seth stepped right up to Finn, their bodies mere inches from each other. Finn didn't want to tear the hellhound apart, but he knew he wouldn't think twice about it if Seth didn't step back.

“You're the one who brought her here for Shinsuke to grab her,” Finn reminded him as he met Seth's intense gaze.

“We don't even know why he wants her.” Seth turned then, leaving his back open for Finn. “But when The Undertaker was telling us to get her, he wanted her alive. Why would he kill her now?”

_Why would the hellhound turn on us now?_

The question was rhetorical.

_It's demon nature to want all the power. Get him now while you have the opening. Kill him and go after the girl._

Finn growled again as he turned away from Seth, trying to resist the urge to attack the only people who were there to help him. Balor was pushing his way to the forefront of Finn's mind, trying to fight for control while Finn was making an attempt to get his emotions in check. 

His gaze landed on Aislin's mother, Kathleen, who was pushing herself to a sitting position on the ground. She was rubbing the back of her head, which must have hit the ground when Shinsuke tossed her aside. Finn's blood began to boil again at seeing her. He wasn't sure what the woman had done to Aislin back at her apartment, but he was positive that she was the reason Aislin's power had stopped. He had felt Kathleen pull the magic away from Aislin's body, causing that cry of pain that tore through his heart.

She looked up to Finn and immediately cringed back, her eyes going wide once again as she took in the sight before her. Finn couldn't help his heavy breathing as he struggled for control, or his flaming eyes that he had focused on the woman. Her fear just added fuel to his anger induced fire. If she weren't above hurting her own daughter, why should she be afraid of his demon?

“What did you do to her?” Finn's voice was a growl, but Kathleen seemed to regain her composure.

She shakily made her way to a standing position and planted her feet into the ground. “You don't get to ask the questions. I do.”

Kathleen's whole demeanor reminded Finn so much of Aislin when she stared him down that it was almost hard to remain angry with her. She had the same determined expression that he had seen Aislin wear on a few different occasions, the same fire in her eyes that he had seen in Aislin's when she got excited about anything. However, this woman was holding a secret that had hurt Aislin, and Finn planned on finding out exactly what it was.

“Tell me The Undertaker doesn't have my daughter.” She quickly closed the short distance between herself and Finn, coming to stand right in front of him. 

Finn kept his gleaming eyes trained on her in the pale glow of the moon, the intensity in his gaze enough to make any human cower in fear. This woman, however, stood her ground. Finn could see where Aislin's stubborn streak had come from, and he almost caught himself smiling at her through his fury.

_Don't fool with this woman. Go. Get. The girl._

“I'm going after her.” Finn didn't need Balor to rush him. He already desperately wanted to go to Aislin—to find her and keep her safe from any other demons. Every second that ticked by felt like an eternity, and he knew that her life could be over with the passing of these seconds. Her healing magic wouldn't help her if she had lost it all at her apartment.

Finn turned his back on Kathleen, allowing his gaze to land on Seth once again. Seth had bent down beside Dean, who was still lying in the grass with his eyes closed. Blood continued to slowly seep out of the wound on Dean's chest, but Finn knew that it would stop soon. Demons healed faster than humans from ordinary wounds. If it had been a normal blade that had cut him, Dean wouldn't have needed Aislin's magic in the first place to insure his survival. Finn guessed that Dean would be back to fighting strength by this time the next night, thanks to Aislin.

At Finn's words, Seth shot him an unbelieving stare. “You can't expect us to go with Dean in this shape.”

“I don't expect you to.” Finn was still trying to control his anger, but he had realized that the anger was directed more toward himself for letting Aislin get involved to begin with. “I'm going by myself.”

Seth jumped to his feet then, quickly walking around Dean and over to Finn. “You can't go by yourself.”

_Yes you can. If they go with you, they'll just betray you._

“I don't know that I can trust you to go with me.” Finn's voice was low as he stared into Seth's eyes again.

“We need to get on the same page, Balor,” Seth said, the gleam in his eyes finally settling down. “We all want to save Aislin. None of us are going to try to hurt her. We're all on the same side here, and you need to get that through your thick skull.”

Finn finally took a few deep breaths as Seth's words settled in. He closed his eyes and relaxed his tense muscles, trying to get the demon to settle down inside of him. He knew that he needed to get Balor under control before he would be able to think straight.

_Watch out for that one, boy._

Ignoring Balor's warning, Finn focused all of his will power and imagined a small, black box inside of his mind. He pictured Balor being drawn into that box before the lid closed down tight on it, locking the Demon King away until Finn needed Balor's strength again. Once his breathing was settled, he opened his eyes. He was finally able to focus on everything around him.

As he looked around, he realized that Kathleen had moved to kneel beside Dean. After feeling what she had done to Aislin, he wasn't sure that she needed to be around the injured hellhound. He didn't know what she was planning to do, but he did know that she could pull power from other people. The last thing they needed was for this woman to pull back all of the healing magic that Aislin had slipped into Dean.

“What are you doing?” Finn asked, his cold voice once again his own. He stood behind her, watching her place one hand on Dean's bloody chest. Seth was right beside him, looking as though he were ready to attack Kathleen at any sign of trouble.

“I'm helping,” she replied in a hard tone without looking up to Finn or Seth.

“Helping how?” Seth asked her, tension rising once again in his body as he grew protective of his injured pack-mate. Finn began to wonder why Balor had put the idea in his head that Seth would turn on them and attack Dean. It was obvious that Seth and Dean had an unbreakable bond, and Finn could tell that no amount of power or strength could come between them.

Kathleen's answer was short. “Just be quiet.”

Finn was in awe as he watched her close her eyes and take one deep breath in. As she forced the exhale, a quick, bright, purple glow ran through her fingers and into Dean for no more than a second. As soon as the flash was gone, Dean opened his eyes and sat up, scratching his head as he stared down to his fully healed body.

“What did you do?” Finn asked, knowing that the magic Kathleen had released was that which she had stolen from Aislin.

“That's what she wanted to use it on, so I finished what she started.” Kathleen took another deep breath in as she steadied herself against the ground. “Now go get my daughter.”

Dean sent a confused glance from Seth to Kathleen as he watched her sit on the ground and hold her head between her knees.

“Come on.” Seth pulled Dean to his feet. “We're going back to Death Valley right now.”

“We need to take her somewhere else first.” Finn didn't want to leave Kathleen out in the freezing clearing, even if she did have a jacket on. 

“Who is that?” Dean asked as he pointed toward Kathleen. “It looks like Aislin, but I know I wasn't out _that_ long.”

Seth began filling Dean in as Finn listened through the trees around them using his demon senses. He heard animals moving along the ground, an owl screeching from the sky, and a crow calling from his place on a tree limb. He didn't hear any other demons around, but he didn't want to take any chances at having Aislin's mother in danger.

“I'm fine. I'll figure out a way back,” she told them as she waved her hand dismissively in their direction. “Just go get Aislin.”

“You know it's impossible to fight these ladies' stubbornness.” Dean placed his hand on Finn's shoulder before starting the lightning quick trip to Death Valley.


	37. Chapter 37

_**Aislin** _

I groaned as I rolled over to my back, feeling damp, cold stone beneath me. It took me a minute to remember what had happened, but I recalled Shinsuke taking me away from everyone and then bashing me on the head with something. I wasn't sure how long I had been out, but I knew that my body felt sore from lying motionless on the floor.

My eyelids slipped open, but it did no good. I couldn't see or hear anything around me, and the feeling of isolation caused my anxiety to rise up. My heart beat pounding against my chest was the only thing I could hear as I attempted to sit up in the darkness. I turned my head, trying to find any source of light just so that I could prove to myself that I hadn't gone blind, but my search turned up nothing.

I shakily stretched my arms out in front of me, checking to see how much room I had around me to move. As I leaned forward on my knees, my fingertips met with what felt like metal bars. I felt fear start to bloom in my stomach as I slid over to feel my way across the bars. I eventually met with a stone wall at the end of the metal, and then two more stone walls around me after that. 

A gasp rolled across my lips as I realized I was in some form of a prison cell. It was empty except for me, and it was just big enough to stretch my arms across it and touch each wall with my fingertips. I found one of the corners of the cell farthest from the bars and sat down there, pulling my knees to my chest.

My breath sped up as I realized how completely helpless I had become. I was alone in the dark, locked up in some cage with no idea where this place was. I was sure that Shinsuke and The Undertaker were probably close by, and that fact made my pulse race even faster.

The thought that Finn and Seth may try to find me crossed my mind, but could they win without Dean? He was still out when Shinsuke had grabbed me, so I knew that Finn was at a disadvantage once again. The Undertaker had Shinsuke and who knew what other demons on his side. Finn and Seth were probably going to be severely outnumbered.

Trying to move my mind away from the battle that was sure to happen soon, I remembered that my mom had been there when Shinsuke appeared. Worry ran through me as I wondered how she was. What if The Undertaker had appeared after Shinsuke had taken me, I questioned myself. He could have gone to that clearing with whatever allies he had and completely destroyed everything and everyone there.

I pushed my forehead into my knees as I wrapped my arms around my legs tighter. I had just become a burden. As much as I was trying to figure out how I could help Finn in all of this, I had just turned into something that needed protecting. The fact that I couldn't even get Dean's strength back up made my mood darken even further.

Suddenly, I heard heavy footsteps coming closer to me. I jerked my head up and noticed a faint light shining off in the distance. The dim glow very slowly rounded a corner and illuminated the sandy colored stone walls around it. As I looked at the source of the light, I was met with the sight of a man I'd never seen before making his way to my cell while holding a gas lantern. The fire was casting the small gleam around him, and the sight sent chills running up and down my spine.

The man slowly stalking toward me had to be almost seven feet tall, and he was wearing a black trench coat that came close to dragging the floor. Atop his head was a black open crown hat, a hat that almost resembled a cowboy hat, but was more round on top. The mysterious man had long, jet black hair that hung down from under the hat in stringy waves, and his face was completely hidden in the shadows. The way he carried himself made me wonder if he were one of The Undertaker's zombies. He was moving at a pace that I would expect of the undead, and it made me uneasy. What could he possibly be doing down here, I wondered to myself; and what would a zombie want with me?

I watched with dread as the man continued his journey down the narrow path and finally came to a stop in front of my cell. He turned his head toward where I was sitting in the corner. His face was still hidden in the darkness, but I didn't need to see his eyes to know that he was watching me.

“You were more useful when you had Balor's soul.” The rough, deep voice that escaped this man made goosebumps rise on my flesh. “But we can fix that.”

My mind started racing, wondering who this was and what he was talking about. I wasn't exactly sure why he would find me more useful with Balor, unless he thought that it would be easier to kill Balor that way. Shinsuke had told us that the dagger might work against Balor if he were broken, so that had to be what this man was referring to.

“The Undertaker can't kill Balor while he's inside of Finn...” I accidentally spoke the words out loud against my better judgment.

“Which is why you are going to take that cursed demon from the poor human he's taken up residence in.” The man's order made me uneasy. “Once that so called demon king starts fusing with your mortal soul, it should be easier to kill him for good.”

“I can't take Balor from Finn.” My words were almost inaudible to even my own ears as the fear took the volume from my voice, so I found myself hoping that this man could hear them.

“Even if you can only take a part of him again, it'll be enough,” he assured me, still standing deathly still. “If he's broken, the dagger will kill him.”

“It won't work. The dagger won't kill Balor.” I wasn't going to tell the mysterious man that Balor would just be indestructible inside of me. If he knew that bit of information, I was sure that I'd lose all importance and be killed right then. He would probably kill me just so Balor wouldn't have the chance to use me.

“It will kill him if he's split or tied to a mortal.” He sounded so confident in his plan, but then he revealed more to it. “Shinsuke also looked into the magic on the blade. It will kill Balor even in the human's body if...” He paused, almost as if he weren't sure he should go on. He took a short breath, apparently deciding that it wouldn't hurt if I knew their plans. I was sure he thought that I was going to die soon anyway. “It will kill him as long as Balor has completed the transformation in the human's body. That's when his soul isn't hiding inside the human. It's easier to get to.”

“But Finn won't let Balor take complete control.” As unnerving as the figure in front of me was, I felt myself moving into defense mode about Finn's control on Balor.

“We'll try to get Balor inside of you first. If you can't take him, Shinsuke will move him.” At his words, I remembered the pain when Shinsuke tried to take Balor from me, and quickly wondered if it would feel the same way if he tried to force the demon inside of me instead. “If that doesn't work, we'll kill you. You'll be of more use to us after you're dead.”

I found myself jumping to my feet and toward the bars where the man stood on the other side. I took the metal in my hands as I began to lose my own control. I was sure that this man thought Finn would lose his hold on Balor if he saw me die again. After the power struggle I had seen Finn in with Balor when I was revived the first time, I wasn't sure that wouldn't be the case. He obviously planned on using Finn's moment of weakness to hope Balor would take over in order to kill him.

“You can't do that! Finn never did anything to The Undertaker! Why kill him?”

The man in front of me silently stood motionless for longer than I liked. When he finally spoke, his words startled me, causing me to take a step back from the bars. “Who do you think I am?”

My own quiet voice was almost caught in my throat, but I took a deep breath and forced it out. I had the feeling that if I didn't answer this man, he'd make me regret it. “You work for The Undertaker, right?”

He hung the lantern on a hook beside the entrance to my cell, his calculated movements making my pulse race even faster than it already had been. He placed one hand on the front rim of his hat, and the other hand on the back rim before dipping his head down and speaking in a quiet growl. 

“I _am_ The Undertaker.”

As soon as the words were out of his mouth, he slipped the hat from his head and sent me a bone chilling glare. With the hat removed from his head, the glow of the fire in the lantern finally reached his pale face. His eyes were glowing completely white, no irises or pupils to be found. His lips were set in a scowl that showed off his jagged teeth and curved the dark goatee around his mouth. I was surprised when I noticed that he looked much older than other demons I had seen, almost looking to be in his fifties if he were a human.

I knew his show was probably meant to scare me more than anything, but it worked. My breath quickened and almost stopped at the same time. I felt sweat start to bead down my forehead despite the chills running through my body. I didn't even realize that I'd involuntarily pushed my back against the far end of the cell, putting as much distance between myself and The Undertaker as possible.

The luminescent eyes remained on me as he took in my fear, almost as if he enjoyed seeing my reaction. “I'm sure your demon friends are already out looking for you. What's left of them anyway. I'll let them find you at the time I specified in the note. That's when we'll try to move Balor. Until then...”

He turned his head as a bright white light appeared behind him, almost on cue. Shinsuke stood tall behind The Undertaker as he watched me with his dark gaze.

“Am I needed?” Shinsuke asked as he moved his gaze from me to The Undertaker, who was watching him with his still gleaming eyes.

He slowly moved his head back to me so that he could finish his previous thought. “Until then, Shinsuke will keep an eye on you.” The Undertaker turned back to Shinsuke then to give him instructions. “I don't care what you do to her. Just don't kill her.”

Shinsuke's lips curled into a devilish smile as he watched The Undertaker replace the hat on his head and slowly start walking back down the hallway, leaving the lantern hanging on the wall. Shinsuke walked out of my sight for a moment before returning, holding a rope in his hand.

“How did you even know I was alive?” I questioned him as I watched him slowly unwrap the rope from itself.

“You honestly think I didn't check your apartment first?” Shinsuke rolled his eyes in an over-exaggerated manner, like he thought we were complete idiots for not realizing that. “Even though I thought I had killed you, that was still the first place I went to look for Finn.”

We should have known that. Of course he would look there for Finn first, I thought as I mentally kicked myself in the ass. He had to have followed us to Roman's house to notice the hellhounds still living. We had accidentally given ourselves away by being creatures of habit and going back home.

“I want to see how quickly you can heal different injuries, Ai-chan.” The sadistic way he twisted his lips made my skin crawl.

“My magic is drained from trying to save Dean. I won't heal. I'll die.” I remembered the last time I had tried to use my magic but had come up short. My mom told me that it needed time to recover before I could use it again, so I wasn't sure if it was filled back up or not. That had been one of the last things on my mind since waking up in this dark prison.

“That was almost twenty hours ago. Your magic should be back.”

Twenty hours? That would make it about three o'clock on Wednesday. The thought made my head spin. I had been out for twenty hours, lying here on the floor of this cell. Finn was surely searching for me, but why hadn't he and Seth found me yet? Seth had said that Death Valley was a large place to cover, and I wondered just how large it was.

While I was lost in my thought, Shinsuke started to glow like he was going to teleport somewhere. Confusion ran through me as I watched his form, only to realize what he was doing when he appeared right in front of me and grabbed my throat. I felt my insides being pulled at and realized what he was doing a fraction of a second too late. My vision blurred and I fell to the ground as he tugged at my soul, tying my hands up with his other hand at the same time. Once he got my hands and legs secured, he pushed my soul back into me with a slight nod of his head. 

When my soul returned, the light-headed feeling went away. I began to fight against the restraints, trying everything I could to get loose. Shinsuke caught my attention as he pulled something from a sheath at his side. The blade of Finn's dagger reflected the fire light onto Shinsuke's face, casting an eerie glow around his features. I felt out my magic inside me and realized that it had refilled itself. I was glad, because I had a feeling that I was about to need it.

“Now, time to see how strong your healing powers really are.”

I held my breath as he began cutting into me, not giving him the pleasure of my screams.

 

**_Finn_ **

“Are you sure this is where Shinsuke attacked you two?” Finn asked the hellhounds as they searched the area for the hundredth time. 

The sun was beating down on them, but there was no way Finn would give up their search on Aislin. It had already been a whole night, and he was sure that they'd been all over Death Valley, but there was no sign of The Undertaker, Shinsuke, or Aislin anywhere. Tensions were running high between the three demons as more time passed. They all knew that the longer it took them to find her, the more trouble Aislin would surely be in.

Suddenly, a familiar smell hit Finn's nose and his heart dropped.

“That's her blood.” He began sniffing the air as the hellhounds followed suit, quickly realizing what Finn was talking about. 

The three men turned in the same direction without a word, running toward the smell of Aislin's blood. Finn's temper flared as he thought of what could be happening to her to cause her pain, and the demon hidden inside him started to stir.

_You better hurry._

Finn and the hellhounds ran until they were standing over where the smell was originating from, but there was only desert surrounding them. There were no openings, no caves, no houses. There was nowhere that looked like a place to hide. 

“Spread out,” Finn ordered as he looked between Dean and Seth. “We've got to figure out where she is.”

Both of the other men became surrounded by light as they shifted into their canine forms. They all three went in different directions, noses to the ground and air to search out where The Undertaker could be hiding Aislin.

“Please don't let us be too late.” Finn sent the thought into the air on a whisper as he inspected every inch of the land around them, desperate to find Aislin and make sure she was safe once again.


	38. Chapter 38

_**Finn** _

The smell of Aislin's blood only got stronger as the hours passed. The sun had finally set, cooling the air by at least twenty degrees. The moon shone over Finn, the dim light not helping his search for any sign of Aislin.

The worry building up inside of Finn's body made it that much harder for him to remain calm. After seeing everything that Balor had shown him about The Undertaker, he wasn't sure if Aislin would last much longer under his watch. The only flare of hope that Finn still had was the fact that he could smell fresh blood from time to time. The fresh blood meant that she was still alive, obviously healing herself time and time again only to be cut open once more. But how much longer could she keep that up, he wondered as he wiped the sweat from his eyes.

Finn had asked Dean and Seth if they could teleport to where she was since they were obviously close, but neither of the hellhounds could lock onto her presence. The smell of blood alone wasn't enough to let them go straight to her. They needed to actually feel out her energy, something that they couldn't do at that moment. They couldn't go to her without that since they had no idea exactly where she was. It was almost as if something were blocking all traces of her except the smell from their senses.

“Still no sign?” Finn heard Dean say from behind him. 

He turned away from the large crevasse he had been inspecting, hoping to find some form of an entrance into a tunnel or something, to eye the other man.

“No.” Finn's voice was strained, a mix between his own Irish accent and Balor's ancient one. He had pulled the demon's strength at the first scent of blood. Balor had been unusually quiet, so Finn decided to use this to his advantage and stay ready for the fight to come.

The black furred canine ran up to Dean and Finn before bursting into a bright light, Seth suddenly standing in its place. He had thrown his dark hair up into a bun to keep it out of his face, but a few stray pieces still stuck to his sweat drenched forehead.

“I thought of something.” Finn and Dean both turned to Seth expectantly, waiting for his revelation. “It's only a couple of minutes until nine o'clock now. That paper said to be here at nine o'clock tonight.”

Realization dawned on Finn as his muscles tensed in anticipation. “He may decide to show himself soon.”

“Will he have her with him, though?” Dean questioned, running a hand through his disheveled hair and turning his eyes in Finn's direction.

“Even if he doesn't,” Finn started as he moved his gaze around them, “we can use whatever opening we get to find her.”

Finn continued to eye their surroundings, a gut feeling telling him that something was about to happen. They were standing in the spot where the smell of Aislin's blood was the strongest, but he had noticed that he hadn't smelled fresh blood in quite a while. The thought made his stomach turn.

“What if—” 

Before Seth could finish his sentence, a bright green light shone just inches away from the three men. Finn quickly turned toward the source of the glow, waiting for something to appear. He focused in on what was beginning to take form in front of them, ready to spring forth on whatever enemies they were about to face.

Confusion ran through Finn as the light slowly faded to reveal an entrance almost identical to the one they had gone through in Texas when they were met with the group of soulless demons. Seth and Dean both looked from the entrance to Finn, but Finn wasn't concentrated on them. Instead, he focused on the scent that was attacking his nostrils with each breath. As soon as the opening appeared, the smell of Aislin's blood grew stronger.

“Come on.” He didn't have to look back to know that his allies had once again transformed into their demon forms and were on Finn's heels as he ran down the ever narrowing pathway. 

The idea that this was a trap had definitely run through Finn's mind. They were probably following right along with The Undertaker's plan, but they had no choice. They'd play his games until they got Aislin back, but afterwards, it was the end of The Undertaker.

Finn began to wonder if they would end up in the same burrowed out hole that they had found the pile of corpses in, but soon realized that wasn't going to happen. When they got to the end of the long, sloping passageway, it opened up into an empty room. There were sand colored blocks lining the tall walls, and a large, arched doorway on the farthest wall from them. The space was bigger than Aislin's whole apartment, and it was lit by a few torches placed evenly along the walls.

_Careful..._

Finn halted his steps at the demon's warning as he looked around the dimly lit room. The hellhounds had come to a stop behind him, their gazes sweeping across the opening and to the huge doorway at the other end of the room. Finn's body tensed as he heard footsteps coming from beyond the doorway. He heard Seth growling from behind him and knew that he had realized who was approaching them as well.

“Ah, Finn. So glad you could join us.” Shinsuke stepped into the large room and eyed the three other demons, his dark irises slowly starting to shine brighter with a white light.

“Where is she?” Finn was ready to attack his former best friend, but he needed answers before he could kill the traitor.

“You will see her soon enough.” Shinsuke said as he pointed a long finger toward his own glowing eyes. “I've been helping her test out her healing powers. You'd be surprised at how quickly she can heal so many cuts at once.” The smile that crossed Shinsuke's lips was pure evil, and it sent Finn into a frenzy.

Finn didn't even stop to think. He let the demon's will influence his movements, if only for the opening attack. He lunged his body toward Shinsuke at lightning speed, but instead of making contact, he sent a handful of fire directly into the shinigami's face at point blank range.

Shinsuke jumped back, expecting an actual punch instead of the flames, and put his hands to his face. Finn didn't give him time to recover, though. He came at Shinsuke faster this time, directing a kick right into the taller man's ribs. Shinsuke stumbled, but he managed to keep himself on his feet. 

Fury flowed through Finn's veins as he rounded on Shinsuke for a third time. Bringing the flames back to his fists, he punched Shinsuke directly in the jaw, leaving a huge blister already forming on his tanned skin. This time, however, Shinsuke was more prepared for the attack.

Shinsuke grabbed onto Finn's wrist as it made contact with his face, the fire burning the flesh from Shinsuke's palm. Finn jerked his arm away from Shinsuke and jumped back, ready to regroup and attack once more. Shinsuke beat him to the punch, though. He jumped toward Finn and delivered a hard knee to his gut, causing Finn to double over in pain. Shinsuke raised both of his arms over Finn's bent head and brought them both down against the back of his skull, knocking Finn to the ground on his stomach.

Finn wasn't down for long. He knew he had to get back up and get through Shinsuke if he wanted to find Aislin and The Undertaker. He didn't have the time or energy to waste on fighting the shinigami. Every moment he wasted on this fight was lost strength that could be used on The Undertaker instead.

Almost as if they could tell what he had been thinking, the hellhounds both jumped toward Shinsuke to help Finn fend him off. Dean bit into Shinsuke's throat, thrashing his head back and forth to pull the skin from his neck. Finn noticed his opening and ran toward Shinsuke. As he approached, Dean leaped away, leaving Shinsuke's neck open once more. Finn wrapped his arm around Shinsuke's neck as he slung his body around Shinsuke's, causing the shinigami to fall to the floor.

Finn stood over Shinsuke's injured form, preparing himself to stomp both of his feet through the chest of the man who'd betrayed him, but then he realized something felt off.

Finn's eyes scanned to room. He found Dean, still standing on all fours in his hellhound form, panting heavily to get his breath back after the attack on Shinsuke. Moving his gaze to the other side of the room, Finn realized that Seth was crouched, the fur on his back rising with his low growls. The rust colored eyes of the hellhound glowered in anger, but he wasn't focusing on the injured shinigami lying at Finn's feet. Seth's jagged fangs were barred in Finn's direction.

_I told you not to trust the mutts..._

Balor's voice trailed off as he and Finn both prepared for the oncoming attack. Finn's pulse quickened as he once again shot a look toward Dean. His eyes were focused on Seth, and Finn could almost see confusion in the deep blue glow of his gaze. Finn's mind worked fast, realizing what his gut—and Balor—was telling him.

From at his feet, Finn heard a sinister laugh rise to meet his ears. Shinsuke's voice filled the room, along with the deep growl of the hellhound.

“Seth. Attack.”

Finn jumped away from Seth's claws and fangs, narrowly escaping being pounced on. The roaring bark that escaped Seth's chest as he turned and lunged again echoed through the room. Finn managed to move his eyes from Seth to Dean once more, wondering when the other hellhound would join in on the attack. He didn't think about which side Dean would chose. It was obvious to Finn that trusting these two had been a bad idea from the start.

When Seth came in Finn's direction for a third time, Finn lost his footing while sliding back away from the canine. He fell to the floor, but quickly rolled up into a crouch under the jumping dog. Before Finn had time to attack from below, he was caught by surprise.

Dean's heavy body had rammed right into Seth's side, knocking him off his path to Finn with a grunt. Seth landed on the stone floor as a yelp escaped his muzzle. He rolled a few times before making it back to his paws, once again staring down Finn.

Dean changed form so that he could speak to Finn, his voice full of conflict.

“Seth has to be in some kind of trance!” he shouted in Finn's direction, his voice full of urgency. “I can't get through to him in his mind like I normally can when we're the hounds.”

“It's got to be Shinsuke.” Finn muttered under his breath, realizing what was going on.

Finn should have thought about that possibility. He knew Shinsuke better than anyone, and he knew what abilities his former friend had. Shinsuke could easily push a person's soul to the back of their own mind, allowing The Undertaker to control the body, almost like he controls the dead bodies. That was what he had to be doing to Seth. That was probably why Seth subconsciously took them to the clearing, and why he hadn't been severely injured by Shinsuke.

Finn darted his eyes in the direction of the last place he'd seen the injured shinigami, but Shinsuke was nowhere in sight. He had run away from them, leaving Seth alone to do The Undertaker's dirty work instead of taking care of it himself.

Finn could only think of one possible outcome that would work with this battle. He pushed himself off the floor and toward Seth, landing with both feet on the huge back of the black hound. Placing his hands around Seth's skull, he twisted at an awkward angle until he heard the loud cracking sound of bones breaking. Making sure he didn't twist the head completely off, Finn let the limp body of the hellhound fall to the ground.

Finn used the same method he had used on the first demon in the battle with Wyatt. He knew a broken neck alone wouldn't kill an immortal demon. It would just keep him down long enough for this battle to end, one way or another. The last thing they needed was for The Undertaker to have one more ally on his side. 

_Go ahead and kill him before they both turn on you._

“Finn,” Dean caught his attention as he walked up to his brother's still form on the ground and knelt down beside of it, letting out a huff of air as he placed his hand on the side of the large canine. “Thanks for not killing him.” Finn remained quiet, but nodded his head in response. “I knew something felt different when we turned forms to fight Shinsuke after he attacked us, but I didn't even think Shinsuke had any kind of mind control.”

The confession and apology felt sincere, so Finn accepted it. He wasn't going to let Dean off the hook so easily, though. 

“Are you sure you haven't been affected?” Finn had to make sure that he did still have one remaining ally in this war. He couldn't afford to get blind sided again by someone he was supposed to trust.

“I think I'm good.” Dean kept his eyes on Seth's furry body, his expression one of anger. “I don't think he would have tried to kill me if he planned on using me.”

Finn knew that Dean had a point, but he still planned on keeping an eye open behind him.

“We need to go find The Undertaker and Shinsuke before Seth wakes up to help them.” Finn didn't think they had time to stand around and talk. With only the two of them left, they needed to get the fight over with before Seth regained consciousness and could help the enemy.

_Watch your back, boy._

Finn stood up and walked toward the open door that Shinsuke had come through. He was sure that the hallway would lead him to The Undertaker and Aislin, and the quicker he found them, the better. Dean followed along behind Finn, his paws now scraping the stones underfoot.


	39. Chapter 39

_**Finn** _

With every turn down the long hallway, Finn was expecting a trap. His nerves were on end as he took each step, waiting for a surprise from in front of him—or a surprise from behind. Even though Dean had helped him when Seth attacked, he wasn't sure yet of Dean's own condition. He couldn't be certain that Dean wasn't also being controlled, even though the hellhound had told Finn that Shinsuke wouldn't have tried to kill him if he had planned on letting The Undertaker control him.

The smell of Aislin's blood grew stronger, but it smelled stale. Finn hadn't caught the scent of fresh blood since right before Shinsuke met them in the opening, which meant that Shinsuke wasn't hurting her anymore. That made him feel a little better until the demon chimed in.

_It could be because she's already dead._

Finn let his thoughts flow to the demon, arguing against his statement. “Shinsuke said we would see her soon enough.”

_He never said you'd see her alive._

Just the thought of the shinigami laying a hand on Aislin had his blood burning and turning to ice all at once. The need to find them both was growing stronger and stronger inside him, but he knew he needed to keep his focus in front of him first.

Finally, Finn and Dean reached the end of the hallway. They came to a stop before two identical doors on opposite sides of them. Each one looked to be made out of the same stone as the walls and floor, the handles nothing more than small pieces of rope to tug on. Finn looked back and forth between the two, trying to decide on which route to take.

“Do we split up? Each of us can take a separate door.” Dean had transformed back into his human form and was standing beside Finn, arms crossed against his chest as he looked back and forth between the twin doors.

“I don't like that idea,” Finn said as he turned toward Dean, seeing now why Seth had made most of the plans between the two. “If we're split, we're easier to defeat. We're already one man down.”

“Then which one do you want to take?” Dean questioned, watching Finn intently as he waited on a decision.

Finn moved his gaze between both doors before closing his eyes, trying to feel out what lay behind each one. He moved closer to the door on the right, but he couldn't hear, smell, or feel anything through the stone. Taking a step toward the door on the left, he felt the same nothingness behind it. He could still smell Aislin's blood in the hallway, but it ended there. Something was blocking everything past these doors, and he wasn't sure what it was.

_The one on the right._

“We'll go this way.” He turned once more toward the right door, deciding to go along with the demon's voice in his mind.

“Why that way?” Dean asked as he moved his head from side to side to work out the kinks.

“Something in my gut is telling me to go this way.” Finn placed his hand on the rope and pulled the door open.

Once the seal was broken, the smell of rotting corpses assaulted his nose. The familiar scent of Aislin's blood also filled his senses, making him sure of his decision. Dean let out a coughing noise, obviously smelling the same thing. They both exchanged glances and decided to head on through the door. With any luck, they would find The Undertaker hiding behind an army of dead bodies down this hallway, along with a safe Aislin.

_Or she'll be one of the dead bodies._

Finn's uneasiness grew as he stepped through the door. Balor was always a pessimist in his mind, but he seemed to be even worse during this whole situation. He knew the demon was worried about the well-being of Aislin because she was his back up plan in case anything might happen to Finn, but Balor had almost seemed to give up on the girl in these last few hours. It was almost as if the demon were trying not to get his hopes up about her still being alive.

Dean was right behind Finn, leaving the heavy door open at their backs in case they needed to make a quick escape. The hallway was dark, no torches lighting the way for them, but that was nothing for the demons. Both Finn and Dean could easily see through the shadows.

Once they had walked a couple of minutes down the new hallway, they heard sounds of groaning. It sounded like the undead that The Undertaker controlled, so Finn knew it was either a trap, or he was in here somewhere, waiting on them.

Finn also suddenly noticed the smell of Aislin's blood get stronger, but this time it was fresh. He realized that the scent was slightly different than what her blood normally smelled like, but it was too close to the same for him to ignore it. Either Shinsuke or The Undertaker had to have done something to her to cause this change, Finn thought to himself. At the realization, he picked up his pace toward the end of the hallway, hoping that he'd find her alive still.

_It's not her._

Finn answered the demon in his mind. “It smells like her.”

_Turn around. I was wrong._

Finn ignored the demon and continued walking.

_I said turn around. You don't want to get involved with who that blood belongs to._

Before Finn could ask who Balor thought it was, Dean suddenly took Finn's upper arm in his grasp, spinning him around to look him in the eyes. Finn's defenses flew up at the movement, waiting for the attack to follow.

“Chill,” Dean told him as he quickly removed his hand from Finn's arm and raised both of them in the air at his sides. “Don't you think this is suspicious?”

“It is.” Finn wasn't stupid. He assumed this was probably some sort of trap, but he had to know for sure. The fact that Dean, who was usually ready to jump into an enemies attack, had pointed it out meant that it was entirely too obvious. But still... 

“Let's go.” Finn turned back around and continued down the hallway at the same speed as Dean let out a long sigh and followed, the scent and sounds of the dead growing with every step.

As Finn and Dean turned a corner, they were met with a sight that had Finn pulling Balor back up to a fighting stance. Dean was a hellhound in an instant as he saw what had Finn preparing himself for battle.

In front of them was a group of about twenty dead bodies, all standing shoulder to shoulder in a small corner of the squared off room. It was almost as if there were an imaginary fence holding them in place. None of the corpses walked past a certain point, turning to go the other way as soon as they got to the line.

That wasn't even the strangest part of the scene that played out before them, though. In front of the shifting bodies, sitting on the ground with his legs crossed, was a man that looked to be in his early thirties. Finn didn't recognize him, but he was covered in blood and wore only a pair of jeans and black boots. His body was decorated in art, leaving only a small amount of his pale skin visible through the tattoos and blood smears. His light brown hair was cut into a long mohawk that fell just past his broad shoulders, and he had a matching mustache and beard on his face that almost came down to meet his bare chest. The man's head was turned down toward his lap, his hands on his knees as he took deep breaths, obviously focused on whatever magic he had over the dead bodies.

The figure's moss green eyes slowly moved up to meet Finn's bewildered gaze as he lifted his head toward the entrance of the small room. With a shock, Finn realized how familiar the man looked. He couldn't figure out if he had actually seen this man before in person, or if Balor had once shown him images that featured this face, but Finn knew he had seen the concentrated expression somewhere before.

The man only said one word as he broke his focus long enough to speak. “Go.”

_Listen to him. Leave this with him._

Confusion grew inside Finn, but he listened to Balor's voice, quickly turning his back on the man who smelled too much like his love. The mysterious person seemed to have the dead bodies under control, keeping them all away from him for now, but Finn wasn't sure how long he'd last. He almost started worrying about the other man, but quickly pushed the thoughts aside. He had bigger problems to deal with than trying to figure out the mystery surrounding the newcomer.

“What are we doing? Is he on our side?” Dean asked as he followed Finn back down the hallway in his human form.

“Balor said to leave him, so I'm leaving him.” Finn moved his focus back to getting to the other door, wanting to find the enemy as quickly as possible.

“Didn't you smell it?” Dean questioned him, and Finn could only imagine that he was talking about the man's blood. “She was somewhere in there.”

“That wasn't her blood. It was his.”

They ran the rest of the way back to the first hallway with the split doors in silence. Finn grabbed the rope on the door to the left without hesitation and quickly pulled it open. Both men sprang through the door and down the pitch black hallway at full speed, knowing for sure that this was the way to The Undertaker. The first door had to be a trap that was planned, but that unknown man had spared them that battle.

Once they reached the end of the hallway, they were met with a much larger room. This area also had torches spread evenly along the stone walls, each one placed between large black and purple tapestries that hung down around the room. 

There was what appeared to be a throne, made out of the same stone that surrounded them, sitting at the far end of the opening upon a raised platform; but what caught Finn's attention was the cage that sat beside it. It resembled a golden wired bird cage, but was much larger—almost as if it were made for humans instead.

_Get ready._

Finn's stomach turned as the fire in the torches all went out at once after Balor's warning, flaming back to life again before Finn's eyes even had the chance to adjust to the darkness. He realized that the throne was no longer empty, and he released a feral growl at the person sitting there.

The Undertaker had taken up residence in the stone structure, watching Finn with a cold glare. Finn could hear Dean's own deep growls rumbling through the hound, but he didn't glance back to make sure of their target. He knew better than to take his eyes off of The Undertaker.

“Both of you, calm down.” The Undertaker's raspy order just made Finn and Balor both even angrier. “I'm going to help you, human. Not hurt you.”

Finn knew that The Undertaker's words were directed to him, but he wasn't sure why. If The Undertaker wanted to help Finn, he just needed to give him Aislin back and leave him alone. Finn thought that there was nothing The Undertaker could possible do to help him in any way. He highly doubted that the reaper would want to help Balor, anyway. 

Finn kept his stance low to the ground, ready to spring for an attack.

The Undertaker's next words made Finn realize what his plan must have been. “I just need you to put Balor into the girl. You get to live, and Balor is no longer your problem.”

_Do it._

“Where is she?” The growl was still in Finn's voice as he remained in position to attack. He wasn't letting his guard down around this demon.

The Undertaker looked toward the cage to his left, and suddenly Shinsuke appeared in a blinding light. Finn's emotions started a roller coaster ride as he felt them change with each heartbeat, not being able to pick one and stay there for longer than half a second.

Anger seared into him first. Shinsuke looked worse for wear, evidence of the battle in the opening remaining on his body. He was angry with Shinsuke for messing with Seth's mind, and angry at himself for not being able to finish the job.

Finn's heart dropped when he realized that Shinsuke had a hold of Aislin's unconscious body. The sight of Shinsuke's hands on her made a possessive rumble pass through Finn's throat, letting the shinigami know that what he held didn't belong to him.

Her clothes and skin were covered in blood and cuts that hadn't yet healed fully. Fear swam through him as he wondered momentarily why she hadn't fixed her own wounds, but he also felt relief at the fact that she was still alive. 

Every other emotion was quickly replaced by another, stronger one as Shinsuke unceremoniously threw her onto the hard floor of the steel cage. 

Finn couldn't contain his rage as he flew forward toward the metal bars of the cage, but he didn't even reach the structure before he was thrown backwards. Dean apparently had the same reaction, because he flew backwards and landed right beside Finn in the floor. An invisible barrier was in between them and Aislin's prison. Someone had known Finn would tear the bars off that thing in order to get to her, and The Undertaker had used stolen magic to create the invisible shield.

“Finn, we can rid you of your Balor problem.” Shinsuke spoke slowly as he backed to the farthest end of the cage, seemingly worried about Finn being able to break through the magic that protected him. “Just let me move him to Aislin fully. If I'm right, we can kill him then.”

_If you want them dead, let them do it._

Finn knew Shinsuke was wrong, and he knew that Balor just wanted to let them move him so he could be invincible. He didn't respond to his demon or to Shinsuke. Instead, he took another go at forcing his way through the barrier between himself and the cage.

Again, he bounced off of the unseen force with a grunt.

“Stop this nonsense.” The Undertaker had stood up, moving down to stand at the bottom of the pedestal that the throne was on.

Finn saw Dean move back to his four feet from the corner of his eye. He had to remember that he may be alone in this battle if Dean had been unknowingly tampered with like Seth had been. As he got to a standing position himself, Finn watched The Undertaker approach him, white eyes gleaming as he left his hat sitting in the seat of the throne.

“Why are you fighting this?” The Undertaker asked Finn as he came to a stop five feet in front of him.

_Good question._

Finn wasn't sure why he owed either demon an explanation, but he gave them one anyway. “I'm not letting you kill her just because you think it will kill Balor.”

_It won't kill her. You know that._

The second answer, he gave in his head to Balor only. “I also know she doesn't want to deal with you forever.”

There were no more words. The Undertaker had obviously gotten tired of speaking to Finn. With a speed Finn had never seen, The Undertaker was in front of him, attacking to kill.


	40. Chapter 40

_**Aislin** _

I felt myself land on a hard surface, but I couldn't make myself move. The only thing I could do was feel the cool floor I had landed on, and listen to the static in my mind. I vaguely heard Shinsuke's voice through the roaring in my ears, but I couldn't tell where it was coming from, and I didn't want to see him anyway. It was the second, raspy voice I had heard that made me open my eyes.

I forced my lids to come up in time to see Finn and Dean both getting back to their feet. I realized I was in some kind of cage in a new room, but I didn't have time to take in the decorations. I quickly wondered why Dean was there instead of Seth, but I was just happy to see the huge beige hound up and moving instead of lying almost lifeless somewhere. It did make me worry about Seth, though. If he weren't with them, what had happened to him?

As I watched Finn, I saw The Undertaker talking to him. I couldn't make out exactly what he was saying, but it wasn't a long conversation before The Undertaker attacked. I jumped up to my knees, realizing that my body was trying to heal my cuts on its own again. I quickly used all my willpower to stop my magic from flowing. 

After Shinsuke had started cutting me, I understood what he was doing. I was sure that he was trying to get me to waste all of my magic on myself so that I wouldn't be able to help Finn if he needed it. It had been part of his plan when he decided to “test my magic.” 

Once I had healed myself the first few times, I finally got the hang of cutting my magic flow off from my own body. When Shinsuke realized that I wasn't healing myself anymore, he had thought I was out of magic completely. He had stabbed me through the shoulder, making sure that I was out of magic. What he didn't know, however, was that I still had almost all of it remaining, and I had only healed what was hurting inside of me. The stab wound still looked rough on the outside, but I knew that I would live.

When I got up to my knees, I saw The Undertaker quickly grab Finn around the throat before Finn could move. The Undertaker started to lift Finn off the ground, but Finn quickly countered by grabbing The Undertaker's wrist with both of his own hands and releasing Balor's flames around his long fingers. My hopes slowly started rising as I thought that maybe Finn could get away from The Undertaker like this.

The stench of burning flesh filled the room, but The Undertaker didn't recoil in pain like I was expecting. Instead, he gripped Finn's neck tighter as he released a growl, then picked Finn at least two feet straight up off the ground before slamming his body back down to the stone floor. The impact left cracks in the floor around Finn, and I knew that it had to hurt him. My mind quickly started wondering if I could slip through the bars in the cage to get to Finn so that I could help him, but the gaps didn't look wide enough for me to fit.

When Finn went down, I saw Dean jump up while The Undertaker was focused on Finn. Dean pounced straight for The Undertaker's neck, but The Undertaker was surprisingly fast at his counter-attack. He swiftly used his arm to knock Dean to the far wall, the hound landing with a hard jerk of his own body. 

Finn then used the same surprise strategy Dean had tried. While The Undertaker was swatting Dean away from him, Finn quickly got to a crouching position in the floor below The Undertaker. He slid his leg across the ground, trying to sweep The Undertaker off of his feet. If Finn could get the larger demon down, he'd have a better chance at winning the fight.

I thought for sure that Finn's plan would work, but The Undertaker didn't budge. Instead, when Finn's leg had hit his heel, The Undertaker scowled and reached down to grab Finn's head, bringing him back to a standing position.

I watched as Finn's crimson eyes glowed even brighter. Flames began to rise from both of his arms, stronger than the last ones he'd used. It seemed as if Finn were pulling more and more of Balor, knowing that he would need more of the Demon King's strength for this battle.

As The Undertaker brought Finn up to meet his white gaze, Finn kicked both of his feet forward, landing both of them in The Undertaker's chest. The reaper finally showed some sign that an attack had hurt him, but it wasn't much. He grimaced and reached for his chest with the hand that wasn't full of Finn's skull.

Finn went for another kick, and I almost started cheering when it landed as well. I noticed that Dean had gotten up and was crawling over to The Undertaker's back, ready to attack from behind when Finn went for a third kick.

“Are you awake?” I heard Shinsuke's slow voice right behind me, and it startled a gasp from my throat.

I hesitantly took my eyes from the battle in front of me as I turned to see the shinigami crouched down at my back, watching the fight just like I was. I wasn't sure if Shinsuke had been there the entire time, but I'd been so captivated by the brawl in the room that I hadn't noticed the god of death behind me.

I crawled to the bars of the cage and pushed my shoulders against them, still sitting up on my knees. I didn't want to look away from what was happening to Finn, but I needed to keep my eyes on the enemy who was an immediate threat to me.

“Don't worry, I'm not going to hurt you right now.” Shinsuke moved his dark eyes from me back to the fight happening at my back. “I need to take care of the dog.”

Without giving it a conscious thought, I reached forward and grabbed onto Shinsuke's leg as he started glowing. I knew I had to get out of the cage one way or another; and as soon as I realized that Shinsuke planned on teleporting out of the cell, I knew I had to go with him. The nausea hit for a split second before it stopped, leaving me on the floor just outside of the cell.

Shinsuke looked down to me when he realized what had happened, but he didn't have time to fix his mistake. Dean had seen what I'd done, and he quickly jumped around to attack Shinsuke so that he couldn't put me back in the prison. When Dean had Shinsuke distracted, I got up and moved to the wall behind the cage, trying to stay out of sight.

I watched with horror as Shinsuke started dealing blows with his feet and knees to the enormous hound, catching Dean off guard at first. I couldn't keep track of both fights going on around me, but I tried to make sure Shinsuke wasn't getting the best of Dean before my eyes glued themselves to Finn and The Undertaker.

Finn had gotten loose from The Undertaker's hold, but it appeared that The Undertaker had done damage to Finn while my back was turned. They were at a stand still, facing each other with a mere two feet separating them. When I got a good look at him, I realized that Finn's temple had started bleeding, the blood intermingling with the red and black tone of his skin. There were a few blood stains on his white shirt already, but it wasn't completely covered yet.

When I took a look at The Undertaker, I noticed he was holding Finn's dagger in his hand. My heart started racing as I remembered The Undertaker telling me that the dagger would kill Finn as well as Balor as long as Balor had complete control.

I watched as Finn quickly averted his eyes from The Undertaker to look back at me with concern, but the mistake cost him. The Undertaker became aware of the fact that I had escaped and that Finn had been momentarily distracted, so he took the opportunity to advance on Finn once again. He connected punch after punch to Finn, but Finn used his speed to finally duck under The Undertaker and get to his back, trying to use the fire at his arms to engulf The Undertaker in flames.

Finn's attack didn't work, and the flames turned to mist as they flew past their target. Finn was being careful with the fire, not wanting to trap us all underground to be burned alive.

I found myself wishing that I could get a spare minute to bring Finn and Dean both back to their full fighting strength, but with both of them locked in battle, it seemed as though I wouldn't get the chance to help them any time soon.

“Aislin.”

The familiar, weak voice took me by surprise as I turned to see Seth leaned up against the wall behind me. I watched his beaten body slide down the stones and into a sitting position as he held his obviously broken ribs. He didn't look too bad, but he did have bruises on his neck and arms. His injuries must have been more internal, I thought to myself.

I knew he must have transported to this room since I didn't see him come through the door, but I didn't understand why Finn and Dean would leave him behind if he were hurt.

“Seth.” I whispered his name as I knelt down to him, my shaking hands finding a spot on his arm to grab on to. “Hold on. What happened?”

I kept my eyes on his face as his mouth turned up into a slight smile. Trying to concentrating over the sounds of battle coming from the room, I pulled my magic from the center of my soul to let it flow into Seth's body. As I watched his bruises slowly disappear, I heard Finn's two-toned voice yelling out to me desperately.

“Aislin! No! He's being controlled!” Finn couldn't explain anymore after that because The Undertaker landed a hard fist against his jaw. 

I quickly shut my magic off before I got the chance to heal Seth fully and scrambled on the floor away from him as I watched his eyes start glowing brighter and brighter. The smile had disappeared from his face, a distraught expression replacing the smug one.

“I'd run if I were you.” His voice was stronger since I had healed him, but it sounded almost like he was fighting against something.

I pushed myself up to a standing position as I watched Seth do the same. Anxiety started running through me as Seth began to glow, his body preparing to turn into the hellhound so that he could fight. The fact that he was preparing to fight me, though, had my mind reeling.

I assumed it was The Undertaker controlling him, but I wasn't sure exactly how he was doing it. The demons had warned me about Shinsuke taking souls from people so that The Undertaker could use their bodies as he wished, but I was sure Seth still had his soul. He wasn't acting like the rest of the dead bodies I'd seen in The Undertaker's clutches.

It took Seth longer than normal to transform, almost like he didn't actually want to do it. There was a small piece of me that hoped Seth could fight off whatever control The Undertaker had over him, but I wasn't holding tight to that idea. 

I shot one last glance in Finn's direction, watching as he tried to get The Undertaker to back down long enough to come help me, but The Undertaker was still in control of their battle. I braced myself as the dark canine appeared in front of me, the lighter undertones in his fur standing out in the glow of the flames around us. His ears were pointed in my direction, listening to my every heart beat; and his teeth were barred, ready for the attack.

I suddenly found myself very relieved that I had got to train so much with Seth. I had been happy when Dean got a chance to practice with me, thinking that I would only know how to fight Seth if I didn't get some variety in my lessons, but it seemed that fighting Seth was exactly what I was about to be forced to do. Finn and Dean were both preoccupied with their own opponents, so they wouldn't be able to help me.

A deep growl rumbled from Seth's chest as he positioned himself to pounce on me, but I tried to ignore the fear that the noise brought up in my mind. I attempted to pretend that we were back in Roman's basement, and I took a deep breath in, feeling out where Seth would be jumping to first.

He did exactly what I thought he would do, springing toward my neck first, teeth clamping down on air as I used all of my speed to dodge him. He slid behind me, and I turned myself around to face him again, not giving him the pleasure of an attack from behind. 

When he came for me the second time, he lunged for my legs, hoping to take me down. I side-stepped his advance and tried for a kick in his ribs, knowing that they still had to hurt him since I hadn't got the chance to fully heal him. 

My kick landed and Seth yelped as he jumped back, then turned his bright eyes up to me. The emotion he was showing wasn't corresponding to his actions. His eyes looked as if he were begging me to run, like he wanted to stop himself from doing this; but his body crouched back down, ready to come back at me.

An idea ran through my mind as Seth jumped for me a third time. I tensed my muscles as his large body ran directly into me, knocking the breath out of me as I landed on my back. His teeth hovered mere inches from my throat as he struggled internally with the control over him.

I laid my hands on his canine's chest, then started healing him once again, hoping that it would work.


	41. Chapter 41

The plan that I had come up with was more or less doing the same thing that I had done with Finn when he had to pull Balor's soul back up after Shinsuke had pushed it down for him when he attacked me. If I could heal Seth's actual soul, I thought that maybe he could push out The Undertaker's influence and regain control of his body.

Seth stopped his attack when my hands landed in his fur, his gleaming eyes growing wide as he realized what I was doing. My hands started glowing with the purple hue of my magic as I pushed what I needed to into Seth.

“Fight this!” I was trying my hardest to reach the man inside the hound, willing him to take back what was his. “Let this give you the strength you need to get him out!”

I flinched back as I felt the rumble deep in his chest, but I kept my hands in Seth's fur. He closed his eyes and his large head slowly moved back and forth, hopefully trying to shake away The Undertaker's influence. I started to panic when Seth's lips separated again to reveal his sharp fangs, but I continued to pour my magic into him, hoping that I could get him to fight for his body.

Before I could tell if my plan had actually worked or not, Seth was knocked off of me. My magic ceased as I watched him slide across the floor and into the wall behind the cage. I turned my gaze back up to see Dean jumping over me, his paws landing on the other side of my body as he ran straight for Seth, teeth barred in a growl of rage and emotional pain.

When Seth started fighting against Dean, I realized that I had failed in helping him to get his body back. Seth was still being controlled, and Dean was fighting him off to keep him away from me and Finn. 

I was almost certain that, if given enough influential power, Balor would find some way to kill Seth if he got to be too much trouble for them. Dean fighting against his brother made me feel better about Seth's survival rate. I didn't think Dean would kill the only family he had left, even if he were being controlled by a grim reaper. If Dean could keep Seth occupied until we got rid of Shinsuke or The Undertaker, I was sure the magic would break.

Before I could make it to my feet, I felt someone grab my long hair and pull me up. I winced as the pain shot through my skull, covering my head with my hands in an attempt to keep my hair from being ripped out. I was turned to face Shinsuke, who was smiling wickedly in my direction. He glanced over to the fighting hellhounds, then back to me.

“They can keep each other busy. We have work to do.” Shinsuke started dragging me to where The Undertaker was standing over Finn's still form.

My breath caught as I saw Finn on the ground at The Undertaker's feet. It was obvious that the reaper had gotten the better of Finn. There were cuts all across Finn's body, and his tattered shirt showed even more gashes and blood than there had been previously. 

Though The Undertaker still stood, he did show signs of the fight. He had taken the long trench coat off at some point, revealing a black tank top with black jeans. There were visible burn marks and gashes on his ashen skin, but The Undertaker didn't seem to be too bothered by the injuries. He watched as Shinsuke knelt beside Finn's body, dragging me down with him.

“Start moving him.” The Undertaker's words were short, but I knew what they meant. Shinsuke was going to attempt to put Balor's soul into my body.

Adrenaline started pumping through my system. I started thrashing wildly at Shinsuke, slinging my hands and feet toward him with as much strength as I had. I was hoping to get away from him so that he couldn't complete his mission, but he took my head and slammed my temple on the ground beside of Finn's head. I involuntarily stopped moving as my vision blurred, the pain exploding from my skull and through my body. 

Through the darkened haze, I could see Finn wincing in pain as The Undertaker's foot landed on his chest with a sickening crunching noise, making sure Finn was going to stay down long enough for Shinsuke to finish what he was about to start. 

The agonizingly painful expression on Finn's features made me feel angry at The Undertaker for causing his pain. I had never seen Finn taken down by one demon before. In the clearing with Wyatt, it had taken several demons to leave Finn in the same position. The anger in me rose as I thought about the fact that Finn would probably be strong enough to defeat The Undertaker if he could trust Balor enough to give him the control he needed.

I tried to move my eyes in the direction of Shinsuke, who was knelt down between me and Finn, but only got as far as The Undertaker's legs before something else caught my attention. 

Dean had come full force toward The Undertaker, knocking him off of Finn's chest in an insane attempt to do damage while The Undertaker was distracted. Dean now had two opponents in Seth and The Undertaker, leaving me and Finn alone with Shinsuke. I worried about how long Dean would last against the two other demons, but my focus was quickly moved somewhere else.

Shinsuke turned my head upward, making me look right into his bright gaze as he placed his hand on my forehead. He positioned his other hand on Finn's bloodied head, just like he'd done when he tried to give Balor back to Finn before. I watched Shinsuke close his eyes, and I knew that was my chance to help Finn. With The Undertaker distracted, I could hopefully heal Finn while Shinsuke's eyes were closed.

I forced my arm to move the few inches over to Finn's, being sure that I was making enough contact with his warm skin for me to be able to heal him. 

Before I could start moving my magic, I suddenly felt a pressure inside my head. I knew it was Balor coming through Shinsuke, so I tried to fight the feeling as hard as I could. At the same time, I started focusing on my own magic, finding the almost full reservoir inside my soul. I could feel the tingling sensation where my arm met Finn's, and I forced as much magic through as I could at once, afraid that I'd get caught before I could heal him completely.

_As much as I want to have your power, I am trying to fight this._

The gravely voice surprised me, but it had become familiar as well. He must have been able to talk to me because of Shinsuke's attempt to move him, I thought as I tried to keep my breathing even. Balor sounded like he was being honest, but I couldn't trust his words completely. I had to keep my own guard up and try to force him back out as well.

Against my arm, I felt Finn move the slightest bit. I watched Shinsuke to make sure he hadn't noticed, but he was entirely too concentrated on what he was doing. His eyes were still closed and there was sweat beading on his forehead. Between me, Finn, and Balor all fighting him, Shinsuke was having a hard time getting the soul where he wanted it.

_Keep going. We're getting stronger._

I heard Finn's breathing pick up as my magic took effect in his body. I could tell that he was trying harder and harder to keep Balor contained in his own body, but I couldn't look over to him or Shinsuke would certainly feel the movement. I was just hoping that his wounds were healing like they should have been. I forced more of my magic through myself and into Finn, ready to give him every last drop if he needed it.

_He plans on being still until he's healed enough to fight again. We can resist the shinigami until we're at full strength._

I thought that was a good idea, so I continued to fight Balor's entrance into my mind and focus my magic into Finn at the same time.

As my healing powers swirled through my body and into Finn's, I felt that it was healing my own wounds as well. I hated the fact that the small amount of magic was being wasted on me, but there was no way I could stop it from doing what it was meant to do. I had only just learned to cut it off from healing my body while I wasn't actively using it, so stopping it from healing everything in its path while I was moving it from me and into Finn was something that I knew I wouldn't be able to do just yet.

“You fool! She's healing him!” I heard The Undertaker's powerful voice as he came forward to me and Finn.

I wasn't sure what had happened to Dean and Seth, but they weren't following The Undertaker. The heavy foot steps grew closer in an instant, sending my heart racing. I thought I felt fear in my mind, but it was an unusual feeling. It almost didn't feel like my own fear, but the fear of someone else. The thought of the Demon King being afraid was almost laughable, but I couldn't deny the fact that I had felt the emotion in the pressure that was trying to enter my body.

I had to stop my attempt at healing Finn as The Undertaker knelt beside me on the side opposite of Finn. Shinsuke opened his white eyes and turned them to The Undertaker, an apologetic gleam in his features. Though he wasn't trying as hard, Shinsuke was still manipulating Balor's soul even without the concentration that he once had.

_I'm trying to get control of Finn so we can win this, but he continues to fight me._

I couldn't concentrate on Balor's rushed words because The Undertaker was right over me. I recognized the knife that The Undertaker was holding over my stomach, and—while I knew it would ruin his plan if he killed me—I had a feeling that he was about to injure me to the point where I could no longer heal anyone. 

Without thinking, I moved my arms up and yanked the dagger from The Undertaker's grip, taking the red hilt in my own hands as I felt the weight of the black orb on the end. I was aware of the fact that the only reason I was able to get the blade out of The Undertaker's grasp was because he wasn't expecting me to try and take it, but that was exactly what I was hoping for. He expected me to tremble in fear of him just like most other people who stood against him would, but I wasn't going to let him make me think twice about what I was doing.

Before I could decide against where I wanted to direct the dagger, I forced the short blade through Shinsuke's chest. I shoved until the dagger was hilt deep in Shinsuke's rib cage, hoping that I'd hit the god's heart—if he had one.

_Good girl._

Balor sounded relieved, and I suddenly felt the pressure in my head recede as Shinsuke fell forward, his now bleeding body landing between me and Finn. I heard his ragged gasps come to a stop at my ear as I pulled the dagger out of his ribs and tried to sit up with it as quickly as I could.

As I pulled the dagger from Shinsuke's chest, it was ripped from my hands by The Undertaker. I was forced back to the ground as The Undertaker raised the knife above me, ready to forget his plan of moving Balor and kill me instead. 

I should have remembered The Undertaker's back up plan of killing me to make Finn lose his control on Balor if Shinsuke couldn't move him. The thought slipped my mind, and I knew it may have been a grave mistake on my part.

Before The Undertaker could bring the blade down, I felt a warmth slowly start to rise up from beside me. I shot my glance over to Finn, who had sat straight up. Flames danced around his arms as he turned his fiery gaze toward The Undertaker, the embers in his eyes glowing with such intensity that it was hard to look right at them. 

The Undertaker moved his bright eyes to Finn as a threat crossed his lips. “Almost there. She needs to die now.”

The Undertaker thrust the dagger toward me and I closed my eyes, ready to feel the familiar burn of being pierced through the heart once more. To my surprise, The Undertaker was knocked away before the sharp tip could make contact with my chest, landing on his back a few feet away.

Finn's movements seemed even faster than I'd ever seen them, and he appeared to have gained more power since the battle had begun. I opened my eyes and gasped as I realized his whole body was on fire, the flames turning his clothes to ashes. 

Finn's skin was shifting, giving the impression that something was crawling underneath it. The black and red patterns were becoming more defined as his muscles went through spasms. He closed his red eyes and tilted his head up toward the high ceiling of the room as an otherworldly roar escaped his mouth. On his head, I watched as what appeared to be a crown of jagged bone appeared. Tendrils grew from his scalp, each one moving in different directions but contained by the crown.

I blinked my eyes a few times as I realized Finn's body was growing, gaining at least an extra foot of height. His muscles were bulging against his skin, becoming thicker in the flames. The claws on his fingertips were getting longer, the pointed edges looking harder than steel against his black fingers. 

Finn's fangs grew sharper as they started jutting out beneath his lips, and his jaw looked as though it were lowering itself into his chest, leaving his panting mouth opened wide. A bright red tongue covered in saliva slipped between his teeth as he opened his radiant crimson eyes and stared down the grim reaper in front of him.

The Demon King had gained control, and his large, smiling fangs said that he knew he could win this battle.


	42. Chapter 42

As I stared at Finn—or Balor now, since the transformation was complete—I forgot to breathe. My pulse quickened as my body started trembling at the sight of the Demon King, ready to take down his prey. 

Fire still covered Balor's larger form, the flames licking his skin as they jumped up to meet each other. A pressure erupted from Balor, filling the room as the flames grew stronger. The force was a hundred times more heavy than the one that was trying to get into my head while Shinsuke was working his magic, making it hard for me to gasp for air.

So many thoughts started running through my mind as I kept my eyes glued to Balor, but my first reaction at seeing the demon was pure terror. I gazed directly into his burning eyes, the intensity in them holding such malice. The hate was directly focused on The Undertaker, but I couldn't bring myself to look away. Balor was obviously out for blood, wanting to settle the score against The Undertaker from so long ago. 

I remembered how Finn had said that Balor went on a killing rampage the only other time that he had transformed in Finn's body. Finn had said that he had woken up to the images of people being murdered in their sleep, including his own family. It was obvious that Balor didn't care who he was killing then, and I wasn't sure that Balor wouldn't kill everyone in this room while he was in control. But with that thought, another emotion started stirring.

Balor _could_ kill everyone in this room. Hope began to bloom inside me as I realized Balor now had a better chance at beating The Undertaker. As much as I knew Finn didn't want to give in to Balor, I also knew that he needed to do this in order to survive. If Finn had fought the demon back down to regain his body once, surely he could do it again after this if Balor did decide to start burning everything around him to the ground. 

I knew that Finn's soul was still inside that body, even if it were buried deep beneath the demon. I was trusting that Finn would only let Balor do what needed to be done to win this fight. Finn was strong, and I believed that the man could win in a battle of wills against the demon if he fought hard enough. I had to believe that I would get my kindhearted, protective, and human Irishman back after the demon had served his purpose.

The Undertaker's eyes grew wide as he watched Balor, who was moving his muscles and getting used to having a body again. A maniacal smile appeared on the reaper's thin lips, and it caught Balor's attention. 

Balor let his tongue hang out, almost mimicking a snake tasting the air around him. Saliva dripped from his fangs as he took a step toward The Undertaker, who had just made it back to his feet, the dagger grasped tightly in his right hand.

Balor wasted no time in lunging full speed toward The Undertaker, not speaking a word before the final battle began. The flames around him ate into The Undertaker's skin as Balor wrapped his arms around The Undertaker's neck, slinging his body around the reaper's throat to bring him to the ground once more. 

The Undertaker took less than a second to sit straight back up, jumping to his feet and running toward Balor with the dagger outstretched in his hand in a stabbing position. Balor stepped to the side and raised his arm, running right for The Undertaker to deliver a blow that made The Undertaker spin in a complete one-eighty before hitting the hard floor for a third time.

With a growl of frustration, The Undertaker got back to his feet yet again, circling Balor with the dagger. It was then that I remembered The Undertaker telling me that the knife could kill Balor as long as he was in control of Finn like this. 

A sense of urgency ran through me as I tried to call out to him from my position on the ground. “Balor!” At hearing his name, the demon flinched. If not for that slight motion, I would have thought he hadn't heard me at all. “That dagger can kill you now!”

He still didn't take his glowing eyes off The Undertaker, not letting me distract him from the enemy stalking him. Instead, he let out a slight huff of air, almost like a mocking laugh. It was as if Balor were daring The Undertaker to try. I just hoped he believed me and didn't get too cocky.

The Undertaker seemed to take Balor's unspoken dare seriously. He sped right to Balor's face, but feigned right and came around for Balor's back. The Undertaker barely grazed the muscles in the middle of Balor's shoulders before Balor turned on him with a growl, swiping his sharp claws toward the reaper's face. The Undertaker jumped away from Balor's advance, but quickly came back at Balor once again. This time, he was using more brute force than speed.

As The Undertaker stabbed the dagger toward Balor's chest, Balor suddenly turned to smoke. The Undertaker's whole hand went straight through the fog, causing him to lose his balance after expecting to hit a hard surface.

The smoke drifted through the room at a slow pace, but soon came to a stop a few feet away from The Undertaker. Balor reappeared in an instant, an odd smile spreading along his lips as they came into view. 

“I can handle a knife fight.” Balor's growl was inhuman, and it held an authority that I'd never heard in the voice that had echoed through my mind. Finn's higher-pitched accent was nowhere to be heard in the mix of Balor's Irish brogue.

After he spoke, he held both of his hands together in front of him. He shut his gleaming eyes for a split second, but quickly opened them back and took a deep breath in. As he released the air, the flames that covered his body all converged at his hands, leaving him fire free except for what he was holding. It didn't stop there, though. 

I watched in amazement as the flames continued growing, shaping themselves into what looked like a long sword in Balor's grasp. Once the sword had finished its manifestation, Balor released a thunderous laugh that made me shiver with fear. He spoke no more, however. In an instant, he was on the attack once again.

Balor ran for The Undertaker, swinging his sword made entirely of flames toward the other man's neck. The Undertaker faltered in his backward step, tripping up just enough to cause him to fall to his back on the floor. Balor took this opening and thrust his sword toward The Undertaker's chest.

Just before the blade connected with The Undertaker, it seemed as if he disappeared into the floor. Balor's fire sword hit the stone, creating a crater where it landed. Balor's gaze followed something on the floor, watching with a concentrated scowl as he pulled his sword out of the ground and positioned it to the ready again.

I tried to follow Balor's gaze in an attempt to understand what he was watching, but before I could make any sense of it, I felt something taking form behind me. Goosebumps started forming on my skin as I looked back to see a silhouette materializing out of the floor in the form of The Undertaker. I realized that The Undertaker had turned into the shadows, moving away from Balor in the protection of the darkness.

The form grew taller as the reaper's features began to fill out of the shadows, dwarfing me in his height. I stared up at The Undertaker's threatening expression as panic started running rampant in my mind.

“Down!”

That was all the warning I got from Balor as he flew toward me, aiming his fiery sword at The Undertaker behind me. I quickly threw myself onto the ground beside Shinsuke's corpse and covered my head with my hands, squeezing my eyes shut tight as I hoped I wouldn't get caught in the cross hairs of their attacks.

I felt the heat of Balor's weapon graze over me, then heard both demons land at my back. I kept my eyes down until I heard the fight move back to the other side of the room. When I looked back up, they were in the middle of dodging each other's attacks, both of them slashing at the other almost gracefully.

“Aislin, back here!” Seth gently put his large hands under my arms and helped me up to my feet, almost dragging me as he pulled me away from Shinsuke's dead body. He led me back behind the cage as I watched The Undertaker spring toward Balor again. “We need to stay out of this now. Let him handle it.”

I reluctantly moved my eyes from Balor and The Undertaker, turning my head to look at Seth, who was covered in bite marks and gashes. His long dark hair was matted with blood, and his clothes were shredded around him, barely clinging to his body in some spots. Though he looked like he'd been through Hell, he was still alive; and for that, I was grateful.

Moving my gaze down to the floor, I realized Dean was lying on the cold stone, close to the back wall. He looked even worse than Seth did, and my heart fell as I remembered he had been fighting both Seth and The Undertaker after he had distracted the reaper long enough to let me heal Finn and kill Shinsuke with the dagger.

My nerves twisted themselves into tight knots inside my stomach as I jumped out of Seth's hold and turned my body completely to face him. I wasn't sure if he was actually in control of himself or not anymore. Shinsuke was gone, but it was The Undertaker who had been controlling Seth, not the shinigami.

“Whoa.” Seth held both of his hands up with a rueful expression, taking a step back from me. He obviously felt my apprehension toward him. “I'm me now. I promise.”

“How do I know that for sure?” I was skeptical, to say the least.

Seth sighed, casting his rust colored eyes to the floor before slowly moving them back to my face, figuring out what he was going to say. “When you killed Shinsuke, my soul came back. The Undertaker is way too distracted to even try to deal with me right now. He's not in here anymore.” He pointed a finger toward his temple and tried for a smile.

That was exactly what I was hoping would happen with the death of Shinsuke, but I couldn't be certain that it had in fact played out that way. I knew that Seth was strong enough to overcome The Undertaker's control now that he had his full soul back, but there was still that slight doubt hiding in the depths of my mind.

If The Undertaker didn't like how things were going with Balor, how easy would it be for him to get back into Seth's mind? The thought made me uneasy, but I knew that Seth would fight him every step of the way if The Undertaker did decide to try using Seth against us again. Seth didn't like being under The Undertaker's control figuratively—in the sense that he had to serve The Undertaker as, more or less, a minion—much less literally.

Instead of answering him, I decided to be of use. I bent down to Dean and watched his chest rise and fall evenly, showing me that he would be fine in time; but I thought Balor might need the help of a hellhound who we were sure was on our side, just in case The Undertaker did still have Seth under his control.

I placed my hands on Dean's blood stained arm and reached for my magic. I only had a small amount left, but I knew that I could at least get him to his feet. He wouldn't be perfect, but he would feel a lot better than he was at that moment.

I focused on my power, letting the glow create a path into Dean. My breathing became heavy as I almost emptied the last of the magic I had into Dean's body, but I held off on giving him all of it. I wanted to keep a little bit as back-up, just in case Finn got injured and needed it.

Seth knelt on the ground beside me, watching as Dean opened his eyes and wearily turned them from Seth to me without a word. When I was sure that Dean was fully conscious, I cut off my magic from him. I watched with a sigh of relief as he managed to easily sit up, but I couldn't feel too happy about anything until the fight was over. 

Dean and I exchanged a glace, his deep blue eyes silently saying thank you for what I could heal for him. I turned to Seth after that. He nodded his head in the direction of Balor and The Undertaker, and—simultaneously—we all three turned our attention back to the battle.


	43. Chapter 43

Seth, Dean, and I all peered around the cage and saw The Undertaker and Balor still locked in battle. It seemed as though they'd both taken damage, but it wasn't nearly enough to keep either demon down. They were still fighting with their blades, each blow making the opponent sway back. They both always got their footing back before the next attack, though. 

When The Undertaker struck out with the dagger again, Balor held his flaming sword in one hand and took the reaper's arm in the other, pulling The Undertaker closer before he turned and tossed The Undertaker into the cage in front of us. I jerked back as the impact rattled the bars I was gripping in my white knuckles.

A slight movement caught my attention from the floor, only a foot away from Balor. Shinsuke's dead body had begun to move, trying to get to a standing position. I hadn't even thought of the possibility of The Undertaker controlling the corpse, but apparently Balor had. He started walking toward Shinsuke's undead body, sword ready to attack.

Mid-step, Balor's feet suddenly started turning to ice. The Undertaker was standing in front of the cage, holding his arms out toward Balor with a chilling smile on his lips. It was apparent that The Undertaker was using magic that he'd gotten by taking another demon's soul. It made me wonder just how many tricks The Undertaker held up his sleeve.

As he watched Balor, more ice started up the Demon King's legs, freezing him to his spot on the floor. Shinsuke's corpse had started crawling toward Balor, slowly gaining the strength it would need to stand. Balor shifted the flames in his hand, moving the sword to a stabbing position for when Shinsuke got close enough. Before he could attempt an attack, however, water suddenly surrounded his sword.

With a sizzling sound, Balor's flames disappeared, leaving him defenseless against the approaching dead body. A slow chuckle rose from The Undertaker's chest in front of us. He thought that getting rid of Balor's weapon would leave him defenseless.

Balor's lips turned up into a smirk as he held out his empty hands in front of him. The Undertaker may have been able to put the fire of Balor's sword out, but Balor wasn't ready to end it like that.

Balor balled his fists up at his side, and the burning flames once more surrounding his body instead of giving him a weapon to fight with. As the embers rose around Balor, the ice around his legs instantly melted. He started to move his feet, but something looked off. He seemed to be moving much slower than he had been.

“The ice, even after being melted, still has a paralyzing effect for a quite a while.” The Undertaker sounded smug as he admitted what he'd done to Balor. 

“The fire, even after extinguished, will still kill you.” Balor growled back, and then he kicked the wriggling corpse in front of him. 

Shinsuke's body burst into flames as soon as Balor made contact. The soulless shinigami flew directly into The Undertaker's chest, but he caught the corpse instead of letting it take him to the ground. The Undertaker's reflexes, however, made him drop the dagger on the floor in order to get both of his hands free, the blade making a hard clanging noise as it landed a couple of feet away from where The Undertaker stood. Balor's wide mouth turned up into what would pass as a smile at The Undertaker's grave mistake. 

The Undertaker quickly let Shinsuke's fiery body fall back to the stone where it continued to burn, turning to ash a lot faster than it would with normal fire. Before The Undertaker could retrieve the knife, however, Balor tried to run for him. Balor attempted a drop kick on the larger man's chest, but The Undertaker caught Balor's flaming feet, a sign that his ice attack had done more damage than Balor wanted to admit. 

The Undertaker didn't flinch away from the flames that still burned around Balor, and instead, he lifted Balor's legs and placed them around his neck. Balor raised his upper body and threw punches directly to The Undertaker's head, but The Undertaker forcefully slammed Balor to the ground, back first. I winced at the sound of the impact, but Balor didn't seem too affected by it.

Balor growled as he flipped over onto his stomach and quickly crawled across the room to the wall opposite of me and the hellhounds. He stayed crouched, but didn't wait on The Undertaker to make the next move. Balor balled his fist and threw a blast of his flames toward The Undertaker, who dodged the ball of fire just in time.

I flinched back as I watched the flaming orb come straight toward us, not sure if Balor would be as careful as Finn was with his fire attacks. Luckily for us, the flame turned to mist just before hitting the cage we were huddled behind. That was a good sign, I thought to myself. If Balor were being careful not to hit us, it either meant that Finn still had at least a little say in his actions, or that Balor didn't plan on killing everyone in this room. The Undertaker was his only target—for the time being.

I kept my eyes on Balor's fiery form, but I suddenly felt like I was seeing double. A dark fog started filling the room, and I placed the sleeve of my shirt over my mouth to keep from breathing in too much of the smoke. With a start, I realized that Balor was multiplying himself around The Undertaker. I blinked my eyes a few times to make sure I was actually seeing what I thought I was, but all of the duplicates of Balor remained. Before I knew it, there were at least fifteen identical versions of Balor surrounding The Undertaker, all of which were grinning wildly at the reaper through the thick clouds of smoke.

“Eenie meenie miney mo.” Balor teased The Undertaker in a not-so-light manner, every image of the demon speaking in unison.

The Undertaker growled and attacked the Balor directly in front of him—the one that was in the exact spot that Balor had been sitting in when he began casting his illusions. However, when The Undertaker threw his fist into Balor's jaw, nothing happened. The Undertaker's fist went right through Balor's head, like a projection or a hologram. Every copy Balor had made of himself started to laugh, the sound a sinister song ringing throughout the echoing room.

The Undertaker took a step back and started attacking all of the Balor copies in turn. 

_Fix this partial paralysis._

I jumped at the sudden heat at my back. I looked behind me to see the true form of Balor crouched in between Dean and Seth. I wasn't sure how the Demon King's rough voice was suddenly in my mind again, but the blaze in his eyes told me that I needed to listen to it. 

Both hellhounds were glaring at Balor, waiting to see what would come next. I knew that they hadn't heard Balor's voice, but I didn't have time to explain what I needed to do.

Not thinking, I placed my hands directly onto Balor's bent knees. An instant later, I pulled back. My hand had already started forming blisters, and I had to keep myself from crying out in pain. I quickly shut my magic off from healing my own wounds, watching as Balor calmed the flames around himself for me to try again.

When he was cool enough to touch, I once again rested my hands on Balor's knees. I noticed that Seth had moved his gaze back to the other side of the cage, watching The Undertaker to make sure that he was occupied as I poured what magic I had left into Balor. I tried my hardest to get The Undertaker's ice spell out of Balor's system before I started healing the rest of his wounds. 

Dean kept his eyes focused on Balor while I was concentrating on my magic, the light amethyst color weaker than it had been earlier. It was almost as if Dean didn't trust Balor so close, but I couldn't say that I blamed him. After learning what Balor had done to their pack, I would have been uneasy around him, too, if I were the hellhounds. But I wasn't a hellhound, and I needed to heal him for the fight so that we all didn't die at the hands of The Undertaker.

As my magic found its way into Balor, it healed the blisters on my palms as it went. I found myself once again wishing I could focus the ability to one specific area of a person instead of having it heal everything in its path. It was a waste of my power to use it on a few blisters on my skin.

I realized that Balor was intently watching The Undertaker, making sure he wasn't getting too close to us. I quickly looked back to see The Undertaker send a fleeting glance toward the dagger that remained in the floor. Balor obviously noticed The Undertaker's gaze, and, without warning, flames burst out around Balor again. I jumped away from him as he nodded his head in my direction and ran toward The Undertaker. At the same time, both demons lunged through the smoke for the dagger on the ground. The Undertaker was closer to it, but Balor was slightly faster since regaining full use of his legs again. 

When Balor's hand landed on the red hilt of the dagger, The Undertaker's black boot stomped down on his fingers before they could curl around it. Balor let out a roar as he flipped his feet out from under him, raising one to kick The Undertaker in the gut. 

The attack caused The Undertaker to stumble slightly, just enough for Balor to sling the blade across the floor, out of reach of The Undertaker. His fierce red eyes met mine as the dagger slid to a stop on the ground at my knees. I didn't want to bring attention to myself, so I didn't immediately reach for it.

_Get the dagger and I'll keep him away from you._

I quickly took the hilt in both of my hands, holding it with the blade pointed toward the floor.

The Undertaker looked in my direction, his white eyes glowing brighter as he took a step toward me and growled. Shivers that had nothing to do with the temperature started running up my spine at the glare The Undertaker had fixed on me.

Balor was true to his word, though. As soon as The Undertaker started for me, Balor jumped for his back. He put his hands around The Undertaker's throat and pulled down, forcing his knees into The Undertaker's back as they both fell.

The Undertaker rolled off Balor and stood up again, slower this time. Balor made it back to a vertical base and once again pounced for The Undertaker. Balor let the flames leave his long fingers, then ripped his claws through The Undertaker's shoulder, causing blood to start running down The Undertaker's arm. I realized that Balor had removed his flames from his nails so that they wouldn't instantly cauterize The Undertaker's wounds. He was trying to do as much damage as physically possible to the other demon, and he had thought it through to every last detail. 

“He's going to win this.” I heard Dean's quiet voice whisper from beside me. He sounded like he was trying his hardest to be optimistic, but I caught the uncharacteristic undertone of doubt that he was trying to hide.

I couldn't make myself answer him. Watching this battle had left my heart in my throat.

My mind was racing as I watched them go back and forth, drawing blood from each other with every attack. I gripped the hilt of the dagger tighter between my fingers as I tried to control my emotions. Balor was dealing out a lot of damage to The Undertaker, but not without taking damage himself.

Each time The Undertaker put a new wound on Balor, I could feel my chest tighten. I didn't have any magic left to give to Balor yet. I had given him the last of it when I fixed the partial paralysis in his legs, so I just prayed to whoever was listening that Balor could get out of this battle with as little harm as possible.

As the battle went on, I could tell both Balor and The Undertaker were getting worn out. Both demons were getting slower, having a harder time getting back to their feet, and were covered in blood. I felt like I had been sitting in the same spot for hours, and that was probably the truth by this time. Each man had kept up with the other, not backing down for a moment to take a breath, despite their declining health. 

The Undertaker once again stomped toward Balor, who had just made it to his feet after taking another attack. Balor had his back to The Undertaker, but as soon as the reaper was within distance, Balor dropped into an overhead kick, striking The Undertaker directly in the temple. Balor fell to the ground as well, but he made it to his feet before The Undertaker did.

The Undertaker's movements were getting sluggish the longer the fighting went on. Balor watched as The Undertaker tried to sit up, but as soon as The Undertaker got his back off the floor, Balor ran by him and kicked him back down. The Undertaker surprised Balor then, grabbing his leg and standing up to toss Balor toward the ceiling of the room. 

Balor flipped himself in mid air, throwing a handful of fire at The Undertaker as soon as he had the shot. The Undertaker couldn't get out of the way of the fire soon enough, and he was hit directly in the chest with the flame.

Before, The Undertaker hadn't taken much notice to Balor's flames; but this time, the flame started to engulf him. Balor grabbed onto the bars at the top of the cage to keep himself from falling to the floor, and he watched The Undertaker. His gaze was focused as he waited for his next chance to strike against the reaper.

The flames around The Undertaker grew, and his body fell to the ground. Once he was flat on his back, the flames around him turned to mist and disappeared. I glanced at Balor on top of the cage, his menacing smile evidence of the fact that he put the fire out himself. He was planning something else to end The Undertaker.

My stomach turned as I watched Balor unsteadily stand straight up on the top of the cage. His eyes never left The Undertaker, who was slowly trying to sit back up on the ground. I had a feeling I knew what Balor was about to do, and I wasn't entirely sure that I wanted to watch.

Balor let a roar of laughter escape his throat as he leapt from the top of the cage. His bare feet landed directly on The Undertaker's chest, the sounds of cracking ribs filling the room with the impact. I almost felt the need to throw up at the sight of the gaping hole where Balor landed, but it had been so long since I'd eaten that I didn't have anything in my system to bring up.

Balor pulled his feet from The Undertaker's chest as he fell to the ground beside his gasping enemy. The Undertaker tried to take one last breath, but before he could, Balor reached into the hole he had made through The Undertaker's rib cage and pulled hard, removing the heart of the one person who had ever tied with the Demon King.


	44. Chapter 44

After pulling the heart from The Undertaker, Balor got up to his knees. He placed both of his black, flaming hands on the ground and breathed a long, well deserved sigh. A bright, white light started glowing around Balor's arms, extending into the floor and over The Undertaker's corpse, as well as what was left of Shinsuke's charred remains. With a burst, both dead bodies disappeared into the glow, no longer a threat to Finn or Balor.

I almost jumped for joy as Balor slowly made his way back to his feet, swaying the slightest bit. The battle was finally over, and everyone on our side had made it out alive. A smile filled my face as I stood up and came around to the other side of the cage, stopping a few feet in front of Balor.

I don't know what I expected—a happy demon, ready to celebrate with me, maybe—but what I got surprised me.

“Can you heal me?” Balor's grumbled request was something I wasn't expecting. The Demon King asking for help seemed odd, even if I could tell he actually needed it.

I nodded my head and closed the distance between us, watching as his flames slowly died down around him. I kept the dagger held close to my side in my right hand as I placed my left one on Balor's rough chest. His red and black laced skin was almost too hot to touch, but I kept my focus and concentrated on his wounds.

During the long fight, I had regained a small amount of my magic, so I pulled what I could from the pool in my body and slowly started to pour it into Balor's injured one. As soon as I started, though, I heard a familiar, rushed, Irish accent in my mind.

_No! I need him weak to get back to you!_

With a gasp, I immediately stopped what I was doing after hearing Finn's voice. I remembered when I could hear Balor's voice because of Finn using the smoke magic on me, and realized that this must be the same principle. 

I slowly turned my eyes up to Balor's face, and noticed that he looked almost frustrated. He moved his radiating gaze down to me, watching me with suspicion at my sudden stop. I just hoped that he hadn't heard Finn. I tried to remember if Finn had heard what Balor had been saying to me that night, and I knew he had. I still tried to act like I hadn't been warned, though. Even if Balor had heard Finn, he didn't know for sure if I had heard him or not.

“I-I'm sorry.” I stuttered over my words as I took a few small steps back from him. “That's all I've got left. I used it all during the fight when I healed all three of you.”

“At least it was a little,” he said in his gravely voice as he looked over to Dean and Seth, who had stepped out from behind the cage. Balor seemed to be placated by my answer, which made me let out a small sigh of relief.

My relief was short lived, though, as Balor slowly turned his crimson eyes back in my direction to stare at the dagger still in my hand. 

Balor let a low rumble cross his throat as his eyes glowed brighter. As the fear rose up inside me, I realized that now was the time that Finn was surely trying to fight Balor back into submission. Finn needed Balor's body weak so that he would have a better chance to become the dominant soul inside once again. 

Thinking about it, it made sense. When Finn needed to get back in control of Balor while he was pulling the demon back up before the battle with Wyatt, I had to heal him continuously so he would win that war of wills. If I had healed Balor with everything I had when he asked, he would have had a better chance at keeping Finn down.

The blood-colored eyes of the demon flared even brighter as he kept them trained on the knife in my hand, then they dulled unexpectedly. They continued their flashing, proof that Finn was trying to force his will back on Balor.

Both Dean and Seth were at my side as soon as the growl started filling the room. They were in their hellhound bodies, eyes focused on the Demon King as their growls mixed with his to form a chorus of feral music.

_It's time to tie up loose ends._

The statement wasn't made inside of a growl, even though it was still only Balor's voice. Balor's deep accent inside my mind almost sounded full of regret, and I knew that was the reason he had sent it telepathically instead of letting the hellhounds hear what must have been some form of vulnerability to him.

_I know you like them, but the hellhounds have to go. They're just extra people who now know what it takes to kill me and Finn._

It almost sounded like Balor was trying to convince me of what needed to be done. His tone reminded me of a parent telling a child that this was what was best for them, and he was using the threat of them killing Finn as well in an attempt to make me see his point. I knew that Seth and Dean wouldn't want to kill Finn, though. Not if he could get back in control of Balor, anyway.

Balor turned his focus to Seth first, and I knew that he must have been angry about the fact that Seth had been manipulated by the enemy. Balor's flames around his body grew higher, then almost disappeared, just like the glowing in his eyes had been doing.

“You aren't going to kill them.” I tried to sound confident in my words as I gripped the hilt of the dagger and moved in front of Seth, but I was sure everyone heard my voice trembling. 

Seth and Dean had grown quiet, and I quickly noticed that Dean was looking to Seth behind me. Dean's expression was almost one of conflict as he focused on Seth. I wasn't sure if they were having their own conversation in their minds, but Dean looked concentrated.

_Just let me do this, little healer. I want you to survive, but I will take out anyone in my way. They know too much now, and they still hold a grudge against me._

Again, there was no roughness in Balor's voice. It was almost like he was begging me at this point to understand why he needed them gone. He also needed to convince me before Finn could take back his body. 

I did get why he wanted me to survive, though. He wanted that back-up plan in case something happened to Finn. Would he really kill me? Finn was a sure thing when it came to being able to handle Balor's transformation. No one knew if my body could take it or not, even though the odds were in favor of it. 

That was probably why Balor had fought against Shinsuke when he was trying to force him into my mind. Balor didn't know for sure that he could be released with me, and he needed that certainty for the fight with The Undertaker. He couldn't have gone into that battle not knowing what he could do with me. That must have been why he still let Finn use his powers to begin with, instead of trying to hold them back and let Finn die.

That thought brought me back to the question at hand. Would Balor really kill me just to get to the hellhounds? I thought that if I could hold the demon off long enough for Finn to regain his body, I wouldn't have to find out the answer.

“Finn's trying to get his control back, isn't he?” I already knew I was right thanks to Finn's voice, but I needed to distract Balor from attacking for as long as I could.

Both the fire around Balor's body and the crimson glow in his eyes erupted at my words, making me step back again and almost trip over Seth. A rumble came from Balor's chest as his breathing grew harder. The pressure in the room became even heavier as Balor fought against Finn with all that he had.

“He's not getting his body back this time. It's mine. Now move so I can take care of the mutts.” The roughness was back in Balor's voice as he took a step closer to us, his long tongue hanging across his fangs.

“I won't let you. I've still got this.” I held up the dagger's blade shakily as I tried to keep my position in front of Seth.

“And you won't use it,” Balor said as his gaze moved between my face and the shining blade. “You won't kill Finn just to save them.”

“I know Finn would rather die than be controlled by you.”

“Do you really think that?” Balor's flames disappeared all together and his eyes stopped shining, though they remained red.

“I do.” As much as I believed my own statement, I had to admit that Balor made a good point himself. Could I kill him and Finn to save the hellhounds? Hopefully I wouldn't have to find out the answer to that question either.

Before Balor could say anything else, both Dean and Seth jumped for him at the same time. Dean went for his legs, and Seth went for his head. They managed to knock Balor to the ground, but then the flames returned once more around him. I expected them to back away from the fire, ready to smell their singed fur, but none of that happened. Both the hounds kept their hold on Balor's fiery form, and continued their attack. 

I realized that the battle with The Undertaker must have left Balor weaker than he was letting on. I was sure that Balor could take on both hellhounds at once when he was at a hundred percent, but it almost looked like he was slipping from consciousness under the giant canines.

“Seth! Dean! Stop!” I tried to get their attention, but they both ignored me. I knew that if they'd give him a little time, Finn would be able to come back, so killing Balor would be pointless.

Without thinking, I ran towards them in an attempt to knock the hellhounds off of Balor, but I couldn't get close enough to them through the fire that was still flaring up around his body. The heat made sweat start dripping from my forehead, and I placed my arm over my face in an attempt to protect it, the dagger still tightly in my grip.

I took a deep breath and closed my eyes tightly before doing the only thing I could think of. While keeping my arm across my shut eyes, I thrust my empty hand through the flames, reaching for whichever hound was closest to me. Pain erupted across my skin as the fire bit into my arm, but I knew I had to stop them from killing Balor and Finn. I cut my magic off from healing my arm as the flames bit into it, knowing that I would need it for Finn later.

Before my fingers could find their fur, I felt something pulling me from behind. I opened my eyes and realized that Dean had moved behind me and was using his mouth to gently pull me away from the flames. Seth jumped out of Balor's fire then as he watched Dean get me away from the blaze. 

“What are you two doing?!” I tugged myself out of Dean's grip and watched them both transform back into their human bodies.

“We aren't—“

Before Seth could finish his sentence, I felt the heat from the fire at my back once again. I didn't even have time to turn around before a flame covered hand was around the back of my throat, burning my hair in its grasp.

On impulse, I took my hand that held the dagger and shoved it behind me, pushing as hard as I could. The grip loosened around the back of my neck, and I realized what I had done as Balor's pain-filled roar filled my ears. I released my hold on the dagger and quickly turned to face Balor, seeing the hilt projecting from the right side of Balor's lower stomach, right above his hip. 

Balor's eyes stopped glowing red, flickering back to a bright blue as his lids slowly slid shut. The fire completely went out around him and his head tilted back. Then the rest of his body followed as he collapsed on his back against the stone floor. I knelt down to him as tears started filling my eyes. 

My mind was racing as I hovered my right hand over the dagger's red hilt, not sure if I needed to pull it out or if that would do more damage. Had I really just killed the Demon King? Had I really killed Finn? Stabbing an attacker at my back had been instinct—something I'd done before I even realized who it was. If I had let my mind catch up to my body, I would have found any other way to get away from Balor.

My neck and arm were stinging, but I tried to ignore it, stopping the flow of my magic completely. I wrapped my fingers around the hilt of the dagger and pulled hard and fast, like ripping off a band-aid. Once the blade was out, a small fire swirled up from the wound, stopping the bleeding before it began.

I tossed the dagger to the ground and put both of my hands on Balor's barely moving stomach, proof that he was still trying to hold onto life. I wasn't sure if my magic would work on this wound, since the dagger had its own magic, but I needed to try.

“Aislin, don't.” Seth was trying to get my attention as he knelt down beside me and put his hand on my arm that wasn't burned.

“I've got to fix this, Seth.” I felt the tears spilling over my eyes as I started pushing my magic into Balor's body. Seth pulled his hand from my skin as the amethyst color started blooming around my hands, healing most of my arm as it went.

Before I could push anymore of my magic through, though, Balor's body started glowing with a white light. I stumbled back, falling onto my backside just a few inches from him, and watched the brightness engulf Balor's form. More tears started falling down my cheeks as I thought that this had to be the same magic Balor used to get rid of dead bodies. He was returning to wherever he came from.

I turned my eyes down to the ground as a sob escaped my mouth. Seth was still beside me, wrapping one arm around my shoulder as Dean came to my other side, placing his hand over mine in the floor. We sat there like that until the light finally died down, but I kept my gaze on the floor in front of me.

“Ai, look.” Dean's whispered voice in my ear made me slowly lift my head back up. He and Seth were staring at where Balor had been lying, oddly placed smiles on both of their faces.

I turned my gaze toward the last place I had seen Balor, but he wasn't lying there anymore. In his place was a very human, very injured, and very naked Finn.


	45. Chapter 45

My heart began to swell with happiness as I pulled myself away from Dean and Seth's arms and awkwardly crawled across the cold floor to get to Finn. He was alive. He was injured and barely breathing, but his heart was beating. I couldn't help the smile that played at my lips as I neared him, but it disappeared as soon as I realized just how bloody his body was.

I looked down at him and took a deep breath before placing both of my hands carefully around his pale face. I felt him flinch when I made contact, but he made no more moves to stop me. His skin was still fiery hot, even without the flames, but it was beginning to cool back down to his normal temperature. 

In a single burst, I emptied what magic I had left into him. My skin felt electric and it made me dizzy, but I let Finn have everything that remained in my reservoir. 

_This isn't over._

My pulse quickened at the threat, but I knew Balor couldn't hurt anyone in that moment. The gravely voice slipped past my mind as my magic filled Finn's body, but neither the voice or the light lasted long. As my vision got fuzzy, I closed my eyes, still keeping contact with his warm skin despite not having any more magic to offer. 

When I felt his rough hand on the back of mine against his face, I snapped my eyes open. His brilliant blue eyes were staring up at me, filled with such strong emotion that sang of victory, relief, gratitude, and love. A slow smile spread across his lips as he gazed at me, and I felt tears of happiness start to form in my eyes, blurring my vision even further as I returned his smile.

“Welcome back.” Relief filled my voice as I tried to keep my other emotions under control.

“Thank you, love.” His quiet voice was rough, but it was his own. No undertones of Balor's growl could be heard in it. “For everything,” Finn managed to whisper to me before removing his hand from mine and attempting to push himself up. 

“I told you that you'd need me here.” I tried to joke with him as I moved my own hands away from his face and helped him to a sitting position.

He let out a small huff that I thought passed as a laugh. “You were right. We definitely needed you with us.”

As he sat up, I noticed that his wounds were at least smaller than they had been. The one at the right side of his lower stomach—the one I caused with his dagger—was still open, but not bleeding. That was the only injury that my magic hadn't fully closed on his skin. Guilt started eating at me as I studied the imperfection. 

Finn must have noticed what I was staring at, because he placed his fingers under my chin and returned my eyes to his tired face before softly speaking. “Don't. I would have rather you killed me than to let him hurt you.”

The tears threatening to fall from my eyes had finally overflowed and Finn wrapped his strong arms around me, both of us helping to steady the other as I curled my arms around his waist. I rested my head in the crook of his neck, inhaling the burning scent of him. He ran his fingers through my hair, lingering at the singed ends falling at the back of my neck where Balor had grabbed me and burned it away. We sat there in silence, breathing deeply to calm ourselves after everything that had happened.

Finally, Finn lifted his head to look behind me, his gaze landing on Seth and Dean.

“Thank you.” Finn's accented words were directed to the hellhounds, but I wasn't sure why he was thanking them. They had tried to kill him. Granted, Balor was threatening to kill them first, but they should have had faith that Finn would get his control back.

“We knew you needed him weak.” When Seth started talking, I turned to look at him.

Both Seth and Dean had managed to make it to their feet, standing beside each other as they watched Finn's slow movements, probably making sure Balor was completely shut away. They both looked beat up, but I had been able to heal them throughout the battle at different times. 

“I wasn't sure about the plan at first,” Dean started before pointing his thumb in Seth's direction, “but he said you were too weak to actually kill us. Just not weak enough to get your body back.”

At Dean's words, I realized what had happened. Seth and Dean _were_ having a conversation when they had stopped growling behind me. They had planned on weakening Balor further, giving Finn a greater chance to reemerge. Dean's uneasy look from before made sense as I put the pieces together in my head.

“And we knew your fire wouldn't hurt us,” Seth continued, watching my confused face. How could Balor's fire not hurt them, I thought to myself as I remembered the searing pain the flames had caused me.

It was Dean who answered my unspoken question. “We're hellhounds. Emphasis on _Hell_.”

Seth let a smirk settle on his face. “Our bodies are made to withstand the fire of Hell. Balor's fire was hot, but not as hot as hellfire.”

That was why their fur hadn't burned and why they hadn't jumped away. I mentally smacked my hand against my forehead, unsure of why I hadn't thought of that. If the name “hellhound” was any indication, I should have known that fire wouldn't bother them.

“What do you say we get out of here now?” Seth asked as he bent down beside me and Finn and rested his hand on my shoulder lightly.

“Oh, yeah, make me touch the naked dude,” Dean joked with a small laugh before kneeling down beside Finn.

I felt another wave of happiness sweep over me at the thought of going home, but something was at the back of my mind.

“Where's my mom?” I looked from Finn to each hellhound, waiting for a reply. When none came, my stomach sank. 

The last time I had seen her was after Shinsuke threw her to the ground in the clearing. I wasn't sure what had happened to her after that. I had assumed that Finn or Seth would have taken her somewhere safer, but the way they all three looked to each other made me wonder if I was wrong.

Finn caught my gaze before explaining their silence. “She was in the clearing when we left, and she was uninjured.”

“She actually healed me with the magic she stole from you before we came here,” Dean informed me, answering my earlier question about how he was even able to be here. I didn't remember my mom stealing any of my magic, though. 

“Stole from me?” I asked, confusion once again settling around me before another thought hit. “Wait, you left her there?” My voice grew higher in disbelief as I thought of my mom alone in the clearing where I had died.

“She told us she could make her own way home,” Dean told me as he averted his gaze to the floor and rubbed the back of his head, almost acting ashamed of himself.

That wasn't hard for me to believe. My mom had always been stubborn, which is how I managed to pick that trait up, but there were times when it had gotten her in trouble. I was just hoping that this wasn't one of those times. I wondered how she had planned on getting back without even knowing where she was in the first place. I still had no idea exactly how to get to that clearing without the help of a demon taking me. Not that I wanted to go back.

“I went back to check on her after we had searched for you for a while,” Seth added, also casting his eyes downward. 

“And she made it home, right?” I needed a definite answer, but I could tell by the way they were acting that I wouldn't get one. 

“She wasn't there,” Seth admitted after a long sigh. “I wasn't sure where she would have gone to because I have no idea where she lives. I just assumed she made her own way, just like she said she would.”

“It's probably a good thing Seth didn't find her anyway,” Finn said, subtly reminding me that Seth had been unknowingly under The Undertaker's influence since Dean had been attacked.

I took two deep breaths so that my voice wouldn't crack. “Okay. Lets go home and I'll call her.”

My mood had gone from light to dark as sudden as the flip of a switch. I wasn't mad at anyone for leaving my mom in the clearing, though. If she told them to leave her, she surely had a plan to get back home. I just hoped she didn't get caught up in the demon's world on the way. None of us knew for sure if The Undertaker or Shinsuke had sent anyone to the clearing after Finn, Seth, and Dean had left to find me.

Before we started moving, I remembered the dagger I had thrown to the ground. I quickly reached over and picked it up.

“I think this is rightfully yours.” I held it out for Finn to take it from me, but he just stared at it.

In the back of my mind, I had a fear about what would happen next, after Finn once again gained possession of his dagger. The knife was the sole reason he had come to America in the first place, but since it was back with him, why would he need to stay? I had only ever thought of helping Finn survive and get back what was his. With everything that was happening, I had no time to think about afterwards. The possibility of having to say goodbye to this man now was something I didn't want to go through.

To my surprise, however, Finn shook his head and pushed my hand with the dagger back towards me cautiously. He looked into my eyes, his expression serious as he explained his gesture. “Keep it. If anything happens, use it. Don't hesitate. No matter who it is.”

“Finn,” I started as I looked from him to the shining blade between us, “I won't need to use this.”

A small smile graced his features before he spoke. “I'll try my best to make sure you don't have to. But just in case, you keep it. You never know what will pop up when you're around so many demons all the time.”

I knew what Finn was trying to say without him actually speaking the words. If Balor ever got out of hand again, he wanted me to kill him. Although, that also meant that Balor would be around—all the time. 

Finn was trusting me with the one thing that would kill both him and Balor, and that act spoke volumes. He also trusted the hellhounds enough to let them live even though they knew the trick to ridding the world of the Demon King. They've earned it, I thought to myself as my mood lightened back up, the switch once again flipping.

I pulled the dagger back down to my side, making sure to keep the blade pointed toward the ground. The fact that I was surrounded by three demons didn't bother me in the least bit, even though Finn had said that like I should always be wary when I was with them. I actually felt safer with these three men around than I ever had with anyone else. We had been through so much in the short amount of time I'd known them, but they had all become so precious to me. We would be able to conquer anything that “popped up” to get us, even without the dagger.

“There's one thing I would rather not see pop up right now,” Dean said as he playfully put his hands in front of his eyes. “Can we please get this man some clothes?”

Seth almost looked like he was going to lightly smack Dean's arm, but stopped himself. “He's right,” he said around a smile. “I'm getting tired of this gloomy place.”

“Let's go home then,” Finn said as he smiled at me again. 

Dean looked over to Seth before dramatically placing his open palm on Finn's bare shoulder. Seth nodded his head and the nausea hit me. I welcomed it, though. It meant we would be home in seconds.


	46. Chapter 46

Before I realized it, we were all sitting on the tile in my living room floor. I expected my apartment to be quiet when we got there, but I heard a familiar voice talking.

“I'll be home in a few days. We're just having so much fun catching up that two days wasn't enough. No, she's in the shower right now. Yes, I know it's early, but we have a big day planned.” My mom rounded the corner into the living room from the kitchen, talking on the phone to whom I guessed was my dad. She seemed to be fine, obviously making her way home alright without the help of Finn or the hellhounds.

Her grey tinted blue eyes grew wide when she saw the four of us there. “I'm going to have to call you back, honey,” she said as she quickly ended the call on her cell phone and shoved it into the pocket of her jeans. “Aislin! You're back!”

She knelt down on the floor beside me and all but pushed the three men out of her way to give me a hug. 

“How did you make it back here?” I asked her as I wrapped my arms around her, but she ignored my question.

She pulled away and took my shoulders in her hands, holding me at arms length to look me over. “Are you okay? Look at your hair! It's all burned off. Why didn't you heal this burn on your arm all the way? Did you waste your magic on them? Why are you holding a knife? Why isn't he wearing clothes?”

Her barrage of questions made my mind reel, and I couldn't focus on just one to answer. I put my empty hand up in front of her, signaling for her to give me a minute before she continued her onslaught. “Mom, let us get cleaned up first, then we'll talk. We haven't eaten since before we met you here the first time, and we all need showers. I'm sure Finn, Seth, and Dean are tired, too. I don't think they've slept in days.”

I had been forced into unconsciousness because of the pain Shinsuke had inflicted on me, so I had gotten a little more sleep than the other three—even if it wasn't restful. I couldn't imagine how they must have felt now that they actually had an opportunity to relax.

My mom almost seemed hurt at my words, but she stood up to give us all room to move. 

“Finn, you can go on and take a shower and get dressed if you want.” I turned my attention to him, noticing that his focus was fixed on my mom, just as it had been when he first met her two days ago. 

I wasn't sure if it was animosity between them this time like it had been before, but it seemed as though Finn didn't quite trust her yet. It may have something to do with what Dean had said, I thought to myself as I remembered him saying that my mom had stolen my magic. That must have been what Finn thought had happened when it disappeared after I felt that shock while I was healing Dean.

“We can go on back to Roman's place to get cleaned up and rest for a while,” Seth said as he moved his gaze from my mom to me.

“I could use about three days of sleep right now.” As if to prove his point, Dean let out a long yawn. He was probably not even exaggerating, I thought as I smiled at him.

“Thank you both for all of your help,” I told them as I leaned over to give each of the hounds a small hug. “You deserve all the rest you can get.”

“Any time,” Seth said with a smile as he released me.

“Hopefully we won't have to do anything like that again any time soon, though,” Dean added with a small laugh. 

“See ya later, Aislin, Finn,” Seth said, and then he and Dean disappeared, going home to get some well deserved rest.

Without a word, Finn slowly stood up and walked toward the bedroom to grab some of his clothes before he walked into the bathroom for a shower. I watched as he shut the door and waited to hear the water running before I moved.

As I made it to my feet, my head started spinning again. I stumbled over to the couch and sat down in the middle of it, then closed my eyes as I leaned my head back, unaware of just how exhausted I was. I still held the dagger in my hand, unsure of where I needed to put it.

“Aislin, do you want me to make you some food?” Mom asked, her voice calm as she headed toward the kitchen.

Before I could even answer, I heard her rustling through my cabinets and refrigerator to start cooking. I just sighed, actually relieved that she was here. I didn't feel like cooking anything, but I knew that we needed to eat.

After a few minutes, she came back into the living room with a can of Pepsi in her hands, holding it out to me with a warm smile. “I've got eggs, biscuits, and bacon cooking. It's five thirty in the morning, so I thought I'd make breakfast.”

“Thank you, mom.” I leaned up to get the drink from her, taking a huge gulp as soon as I had it in my hand. The cold soda felt so good against my dry throat, and before I knew it, I had downed the whole thing.

“So,” Mom started speaking hesitantly, almost as if she weren't sure what she should say. “You're sure you're okay?” She looked down to the still bloody blade in my hand, eyeing it suspiciously before returning her eyes to my face.

I took a long look at her before I answered. She had sat down beside me on the edge of the couch, once again looking me over with her storm colored eyes. I realized that the pale pink shirt she was wearing was the same one she had been wearing when she first arrived, like she hadn't changed her clothes since getting into town. Her light brown hair was thrown into a pony tail, hiding the fact that it hadn't been washed. Her thin face still held worry, but I wasn't sure what she needed to be worried about anymore. She could see that I was okay, even if I was tired.

“I'm fine. I just want to know how you got back here from the clearing.” I had been wondering about that, but she hadn't answered me the first time I asked. I thought now that it was just the two of us, she might tell me.

“I have friends, too, Aislin.” She smiled at me, her thin lips twisting into an almost mischievous grin.

I gave her a confused glance, but the bathroom door opening caught our attention before I could ask any more about that. Finn walked into the living room, looking much better than he had before. He had found a black pair of sweatpants and a grey t-shirt to put on. His hair was still wet, clinging to his forehead where it laid. His eyes found mine as he sat down on the other side of me, opposite of my mom.

“Your turn.” He smiled as he placed his hand on my thigh. “Do you need any help?”

I chuckled at him before answering. “I think I can manage.” 

“Put that someplace safe.” Finn's face got serious as he pointed toward the dagger still in my hand.

“I can just—“

Finn cut me off. “Don't tell me where you put it. He doesn't need to know.”

I realized he was wanting me to hide it from Balor, but I was wondering just how good of a job I could do at that in this tiny apartment. I understood why he wanted it that way, though. If Balor got control of him again, he could easily steal the only way I could take care of it.

I took Finn's hand in my free one and he helped me to my feet, standing up beside me. My mom, who had been silent since Finn entered the room, got up at the same time as I did, but she walked back into the kitchen to finish making breakfast. 

As soon as my mom was out of sight, Finn touched the blade of the dagger with his index finger. A small fire surrounded the blade for an instant, cleaning it of Balor's blood. When Finn moved his finger, the flame was gone.

“All better.” A slight smile spread on Finn's lips as he looked back at me. “Now go put it in a safe place.”

I returned Finn's smile then stepped away from him and walked into my bedroom, deciding to put the dagger into the dresser drawer I had started rummaging through. I knew it wasn't a unique hiding spot, but it was the first thing that I could think of for the time being. I would figure something else out later, I thought to myself.

I dug through the dresser in my bedroom to find a pair of purple sweatpants and a matching sweater, along with clean underwear. As I made my way to the bathroom, I glanced back into the living room to see Finn sitting on the couch, his head tilted back and his eyes closed, much like mine were while my mom had started cooking. I could only imagine how tired he must have been after having to go through that battle and then his own inner struggle. I was sure his body had to be sore from Balor's transformation, and I made a mental note to help him as soon as I felt my magic refill in my body.

I stepped into the humid bathroom and turned the shower on, the water still warm from where Finn had just used it. I started washing my hair but remembered that it had been burned by Balor. Once I finished cleaning the rest of my body off, I stood in front of the mirror and found my scissors. I decided to straighten the mess on my head out.

After I had made my hair even—all of it now falling right above my shoulders instead of to the center of my back—I got dressed and stepped out of the sticky bathroom. I heard Finn asking my mom if she needed any help in the kitchen, so I headed in that direction.

I found them both standing in front of the stove. Mom was making gravy in a skillet, stirring it quickly while Finn held a glass of water, pouring it into the gravy every time she said “more.” I smiled at the sight, remembering when she had me help her make breakfast at home.

As I walked into the room, both of them turned their attention to me before Mom reached up and turned the stove off, obviously done with the cooking.

“You look a lot better,” she said with a smile as she opened my cabinets again to get plates down. “But you look like you need to eat, so dig in.”

“Thanks for this, Mom,” I said as I took a plate from her and filled it with food.

“That's what moms are for.” She passed a plate to Finn and sat down at the table, waiting for us to get what we wanted. I grabbed a couple of drinks out of the fridge, then we both sat down around the table to eat. 

After a moment of silence—except for the sounds of me and Finn eating—my mom surprised me by asking, “Are the hellhounds the only help you two had with the grim reaper? It was just you four there?”

I looked up from my food to see that she was watching me, eager for my answer. “Yeah, it was just us against The Undertaker and a shinigami.”

“There was another man there,” Finn added, catching me off guard. 

I hadn't seen anyone else in the rooms I had been in, but I had only been in that small, dark cell and the big room that the fight had happened in. Both Mom and I turned to look at Finn, waiting for him to explain.

“While Dean and I were looking for you, after Seth had been taken over, we ran into a trap. It had already been taken care of, though. I have no idea who the man was, but Balor seemed to know him. We didn't see him again after that.” He watched my mom for a reaction.

“Well that's good.” She sounded almost uninterested now that Finn had explained, and it left me feeling even more dumbfounded. It was almost like she was searching for an answer, then didn't want it after she got one.

“I have a question for you now,” Finn told my mom as he looked in her direction and laid his fork on his plate, his voice calm. “What exactly did you do to her magic when you touched her?” He glanced at me before returning his stare to my mom.

She looked in my direction, giving her answer to me instead of Finn. “This is a little long, Aislin. Are you sure you don't want to get some rest before we talk about this?”

“No,” I answered her as I laid my fork down and took a drink. “I've been wondering the same thing, so I'd like to hear it now instead of waiting.”

Mom let out a long sigh, then began to explain. “You wouldn't believe how many demons I had search for me just to ask me for help healing them. Even humans who knew of that world would try to find me for help. I didn't want you to have to go through that. Especially when Wyatt had tried to get me to join him the first time he wanted to wage a war against Balor. Believe it or not, once you master your magic, you can bring anyone back from the dead as long as they haven't been gone for too long. That's why Wyatt wanted me. It's why he wanted you. But you hadn't gotten close to being able to do that.”

She paused, letting the unspoken “but I have” settle around me, but a thought occurred to me.

“Finn said that Roman was gone right before I gave him the last of my magic. Does that mean that I did bring him back from the dead?” I asked as I turned in Finn's direction, getting my hopes up that I was stronger than Mom thought I was.

Finn moved his gaze to me, looking into my eyes sympathetically. “No, love. That's not what happened. He was barely clinging to life, but I didn't think he would make it. Even with your magic, his heartbeat was slowing. How you managed that last blast is still beyond me, but you didn't actually bring him back from the dead.”

My hopes crashed as I listened to Finn's explanation, but a different emotion suddenly started burning inside of me—resolve. If my mom could bring people back from the dead, I decided that mastering my own power would be my next goal. If there was a chance that I could become that powerful, I wanted to do it. I thought that maybe she could help teach me now that she knew I was aware of everything.

Before I could ask her about it, though, she continued her story. “When I got pregnant with you, your father and I wanted you to live a normal life, so we came up with the idea of putting a spell on me that would allow me to siphon your magic if it ever became active. If I could have taken your magic without you realizing it, you'd never have had to find out about anything, and you would have stayed out of danger. So a black magician cast the spell.”

“But my magic was never awakened before I moved,” I reminded her after she paused again.

“Exactly. I thought we were going to get lucky and it wouldn't awaken at all, but when I realized what Cass was, I panicked,” she said, explaining why my parents were so against me moving with him. “I thought that if I could keep you away from him, I could keep you out of everything.”

I already knew that part, thanks to Wyatt admitting that he had asked my mom to join him before, so I skipped over that and went to the mystery in my mind. “So that shock I felt when you touched me was the siphoning spell?”

“I guess so. I had practiced using it before, but it had never felt like that.” She stopped, seeming thoughtful for a moment before speaking again. “Of course, when I tried it on him, he wasn't pushing magic through. You were actively using your magic—and at a large rate, too.”

Finn caught our attention when he quietly spoke. “What's the magician's name?”

My mom looked at him, an unexplainable hard stare on her face. I wasn't sure if she would answer him or not, but she finally did.

“Aleister Black.”


	47. Chapter 47

Finn looked far off for a second, and I knew that he was hearing Balor. The fact that the demon was in his mind was almost disconcerting since Finn had only just gotten him back under control, but Finn had been handling Balor in that way for a long time, so I had to believe that he knew what he was doing.

When his eyes focused again, he took a deep breath and looked at my mom. “That's the man who helped us.”

“He was there?” I asked, curious as to why some black magician would help Finn in the first place. It couldn't have been a coincidence that it was also the same man who'd helped my mom with the siphoning spell.

I followed Finn's gaze across the table to my mom, but she didn't seem surprised.

“You expected him to be there?” Finn asked her, his voice remaining calm. This man—Aleister—obviously wasn't a threat to us if he helped us, so there was no need to get worked up, but the whole situation was confusing me.

“He's the one who brought me here from that forest Seth took us to. I heard Seth say that you were going to Death Valley to find Aislin, and when I told Aleister, he said he'd look into it,” she admitted, acting like it was no big deal that she had sent us backup. 

“Did you know he's also the one who created my dagger?” Finn questioned, eyes still trained on my mom.

She looked confused for a second, then answered. “I don't know anything about that knife. We never really talked about Balor.”

“He's also the one who sewed Balor's eye shut right before the first fight with The Undertaker.” Finn turned his gaze to me. “Do you remember me telling you that the first time they fought, Balor's demon eye had been sewn shut?”

I nodded my head, recalling the conversation at Roman's house when I had asked Finn why Balor hadn't just used that ability against The Undertaker if he could kill people just by looking at them. 

It seemed as though Aleister had wanted Balor dead if he had hindered his fighting, then made the dagger that would kill him. That made me question why he would help us. Surely it wasn't just because my mom had asked him to, I thought as I returned my gaze to her.

“Does he know about Finn?” I asked her, thinking that Aleister just didn't know exactly who he was helping.

She moved her gaze from Finn to me and slowly nodded her head. “He does. He knows that Balor is inside Finn.”

“Then why would he help?” I asked, then added, “Not that we don't appreciate it.” If he helped Finn and Dean to not walk into a trap, then he was obviously on our side. Right?

Before my mom could answer, Finn spoke up. “Balor said not to trust him. He said this man is sneaky and manipulative.”

My mom's eyes shot to Finn then, her steely stare turning cold as her voice grew harsh. “I don't know about you, but Aislin should trust him.” She moved her now warmer gaze back to me, but her voice was still stern. “If you ever meet him, trust him. I trust him with my life and yours, and you should do the same.”

Her reaction was something I hadn't expected, and it took me by surprise. We had been calmly discussing Aleister, but as soon as Finn said not to trust him, my mom's defenses shot up. I wasn't sure how she even knew him, but Aleister had obviously been important to her.

“Why should she trust him?” Finn kept his voice level, trying to get my mom to settle back down after he had gotten her stirred up.

“Because he wouldn't hurt her.” Her reply was quick. Almost too quick.

“There was something unsettling about him when I first saw him,” Finn said as he looked back to me, his icy eyes going soft like he was trying to convince me to not listen to my mom. “He seemed unpredictable. And he smelled like—”

Finn suddenly stopped talking and his eyes slowly grew wide. It was like he had just realized something he'd been trying to think of for days—like whatever it was had just dawned on him. I wasn't sure if he had actually thought of something, or if Balor was in his head telling him a huge revelation, but it seemed important. He quickly turned his head to my mom, who was giving him another pointed glare. She was obviously offended by the fact that Finn didn't trust Aleister, and I couldn't figure out why.

Before he could speak again, my mom beat him to it. “Aislin, it doesn't matter what he seemed like or what he smelled like. You can trust him. He was there to help _you_.”

“How did you meet him, Mom?” I asked, needing to know exactly why she trusted him so much. I had taken Roman's word about believing in Dean and Seth, but that was because I knew how well he knew them. I trusted my mom's words, but I wasn't sure exactly how she had been introduced to Aleister.

She sighed and her voice lightened up just the slightest bit. “I met him a few months before I met Dad. It was right after Wyatt had come to me, asking if I would help him.”

I had thought Wyatt had recently asked my mom to join him, not over twenty years ago. I hadn't realized Wyatt had been planning on destroying Finn for that long, but then I assumed twenty-seven years wasn't that long to a patient, immortal demon.

I nodded my head, signaling her to go on.

“After Wyatt asked me if I would help him, I told him to let me think about it. I didn't know anything about Balor except for the fact that he was strong. Wyatt seemed nice enough, but there was something strange about him that made me not want to be associated with him. Aleister came right after Wyatt left that day, and he told me that Wyatt's war was something I didn't want to get involved with. He explained that Balor wouldn't be defeated there, and that he would probably kill everyone who had shown up. That was all that was said about Balor, though.”

“So you two just became friends after that?” I asked, feeling like there was probably more to the story that she was leaving out.

“More or less. He had helped me by hiding where I was so that no demons would bother me anymore. He still kept me informed on major happenings, though. Like when you were stabbed by that shinigami.” She sent me a pointed glance, but it quickly turned into one of relief. “I was just glad when he told me that you had been saved by Roman.”

“How did he even know about that?” I hadn't remembered seeing any living person remaining when Finn and I had left the clearing that night. I hadn't noticed any of Wyatt's demons run away, either.

“He just knows these things.” Her answer wasn't very informative, but I accepted it. I wasn't even sure if she knew how Aleister got information like that.

Finn stayed quiet after that, but I noticed him slowly moving his gaze between me and my mom. She didn't say anymore, either, so I dropped the subject. We ate in silence then, and once everyone was done, my mom took our plates and started doing the dishes.

“I can get that, Mom,” I told her as I came to stand beside her at the sink, Finn standing up behind me.

“No.” She turned to me as she let the water run, smiling again. “You go on and get some rest. I'll clean up around here, then head home.”

“You're leaving already?” I asked, a little disappointed in the fact that we wouldn't actually be able to spend the day together. It had been weeks since I'd seen her, and I wouldn't really count her visit as quality time.

“I've had to call out of work all week, so I need to go tomorrow. I don't need to get fired.” She let out a small laugh as she started washing the plates.

Work had been the last thing on my mind since we had walked into The Undertaker's trap, so I wasn't sure if I even had a job anymore. I thought about calling Kurt to make an excuse for my missed days, but if it were only six in the morning, I didn't think he'd be awake.

Almost as though she could read my thoughts, my mom eased my worries. “While I was here, I heard your phone ringing yesterday afternoon. You had left it in your purse on the table, so I plugged it up for you. I answered it, and it was your boss.”

“What did you tell him?” I asked her, hoping that whatever she said would save my job.

“I told him you were in the hospital. If he asks, you started passing out yesterday morning, and I took you to the emergency room. They gave you IV fluids and said it was just exhaustion. You're back home resting for today.”

“Which is exactly what you should be doing,” Finn added from behind me as he took my hand. His voice was tired, and I knew he wanted to go to bed even more than I did.

My mom smiled back at him, the tension between them seemingly dissipated. “Go on, honey. I'll take care of this and lock up when I leave. Call me when you get up later and let me know you're okay.”

With a reluctant sigh, I agreed. I said goodbye to my mom, making sure to tell her thank you and asking her to let me know when she made it home, then I let Finn lead me into the bedroom. We crawled into the bed and covered up before I rested my head against Finn's chest. We laid silently like that until we heard my mom leave the apartment. I had been trying to go to sleep, but my mind was too busy wondering about the black magician.

“Aislin,” Finn whispered as he ran his fingers through my hair. “How would you feel about asking Aleister Black for help?”

“Help with what?” I looked up to him, unsure of why we needed anyone's help at that moment. No one was after us anymore. No one was actively trying to kill Balor. As far as I knew, we were safe for the time being. 

“If he is strong enough to sew Balor's eye shut and make a dagger that will kill him, maybe he can find some way to get rid of Balor for good without it costing me my life.” Finn looked toward the window where light had started shining through as the sun rose in the sky.

“But what if more demons try to attack you after he's gone?” I asked, not sure if it was the best idea for Finn to be defenseless. If a rogue demon didn't know Balor had been removed from Finn, he could be killed in an instant.

“That's a chance I'm willing to take.” His eyes came back down to me and I noticed the red flash shine through briefly. “He's had another taste of control, and it's getting harder to keep him locked away. It feels different this time than it did the last time I got my body back from him.”

The admission made my stomach start to turn. “How does it feel different?”

“Balor's presence feels greater than it did before. He shouldn't have the strength that he's using right now, especially after that battle, but he feels even more powerful.” Finn tensed as he closed his eyes and tilted his head back into the pillow. “I had him entirely blocked out right after I got my body back; but then I used the flame to clean the blade, and I haven't been able to completely shut him out since. It feels like he's eating at my body and my soul.”

“Will this help?” I asked as I put my hand on his stomach, feeling his hard abs underneath the fabric of his shirt. I felt my palm tingling and tried to push my magic into Finn, but it wasn't much. I still hadn't recovered from emptying it in the first place only a couple of hours before.

When I was done, I looked back up to Finn. I saw him watching me, a warm smile crinkling his eyes. “That did help. But you don't have to worry. I've got him willed down enough for now. He's not going to get control anytime soon. I just worry about the future.”

“After we get some rest, I'll call my mom and ask her how to get in contact with Aleister, then,” I assured him. “We'll see if he'll want to help us again, since he helped you before.”

“Yeah,” Finn whispered as he once again closed his eyes.

I settled against him and began to take deep breaths. Before I could even count to ten, I had fallen into a much needed, deep sleep.


	48. Devil In The Mirror

I walked through the doors of Raw and greeted the new bartender that Kurt had hired to take Roman's position. Dean smiled at me from his spot behind the bar, the top few buttons on his red Raw polo-shirt undone. He was talking with Enzo, who was training him for the night, but when he saw me walk in, he started walking toward me.

“After tonight, I'm done with training,” Dean happily announced as he approached me, his ocean blue eyes gleaming with his wide smile. 

“Good job! I'm so proud of my big boy,” I joked, pinching his cheek like an adult would do to a baby before he playfully swatted my hand away.

“I'm just glad I won't have to put up with that obnoxious dude anymore,” Dean said as he pointed his thumb in Enzo's direction and rolled his eyes. “I liked him at first, but he seems like a guy who you can only handle in short spurts.”

I laughed at Dean as I clocked in and started getting ready for the work day. At least it wouldn't be too busy tonight, I thought to myself as I hung my jacket on the coat rack beside the time clock. It was normally slow on Wednesday nights, but this was the night before Thanksgiving, so we would probably be lucky to get at least twenty customers.

Three weeks had passed since we got home from the battle with The Undertaker. The first thing Finn had suggested after we had both gotten plenty of rest was that we needed to find a new place to live. Together. Within three weeks, I had moved out of my apartment and into a house with Finn that was for rent across town. It was a little farther away from Raw than my apartment was, but I fell in love with it when I first saw it. I had pointed out that the rent was a little higher, but Finn had assured me that he hadn't lived for a hundred years without saving up some money.

Finn and the hellhounds had all three also been weary about me going back to work at the bar, saying that every demon who had a past with Balor would definitely know about me helping him with Wyatt and The Undertaker. They were worried that other demons would try to use me to bring out Balor.

Luckily, Seth had the idea of Dean applying for our open position that Kurt hadn't yet filled. Dean had protested at first, not wanting to be tied down by a schedule or have to wear anything remotely resembling a uniform. He had asked why Seth or Finn couldn't do it, but Seth had made a very valid point. He had already introduced himself to Kurt as Roman's younger brother from Florida, so he couldn't be seen at the bar without getting sympathetic stares and bringing attention to himself. Finn couldn't do it because of other reasons.

He was still in control of Balor, but it was getting harder for Finn to close the demon out completely. In the three weeks that had passed, Balor was getting restless about taking Finn's body as his own again. Signs of the Demon King would randomly show on Finn's features, like the color in his eyes would change in a flash from blue to red and back again, or his fingernails would suddenly grow an inch, then revert back to their normal length. Finn always kept Balor in check, though. The demon never gained any influence over Finn's movements, but I had wondered how long Finn could keep up with fighting Balor back down. No one else had ever been strong enough for Balor to transform once, much less twice, so this was all new territory to everyone involved.

There was one person Finn was hoping could help him, though. He had been trying to track down the black magician who had made the dagger that could kill both Finn and Balor—Aleister Black. 

After Finn had decided that he wanted to find Aleister, I had asked my mom how I could get in contact with him. She had told me that she didn't even know exactly how to do that. She said that he would always come to her when anything was going on that she might be interested in, and she hadn't seen him since he took her back to my apartment from the clearing where I was kidnapped. My mom had also told me that if Aleister wanted to be found, he would come to us. If he didn't want to be bothered, we wouldn't find him.

Finn hadn't let her words discourage him, though. He was following every lead he could get in the hope of finding Aleister. 

“Hey, Ai.” Dean's voice was quieter as he stepped up to me again, leaning down so that he wouldn't have to yell over the music playing in the bar for me to hear him. “Has Finn had any luck?”

I shook my head at Dean. “Not yet. He's out now doing some back-tracking. He thinks that if he goes to the last place Aleister was seen, he might find some other kind of hint about where he could be.”

“Makes sense,” Dean agreed as he straightened back up.

“Hey, Dean-o, get back over here!” Enzo's high-pitched, throaty yell made Dean visibly cringe. “I have to teach you how to make my signature Certified G blend!”

“Only in short bursts...” Dean mumbled before turning around and walking back to Enzo.

 

**_Finn_ **

Finn looked around the long, dark hallway he was walking down, the stone walls seeming lighter in color than they had the last time he was there. He came to a stop at the end of the path, looking back and forth between the two heavy stone doors, one each on opposite sides of the wall from the other. Finn turned toward the door on the right and pulled on the frayed rope to open it.

He was headed back down the hallway that would lead him to where he had seen Aleister that first time.

_Why are you looking for the black magician?_

The demon's voice had been in his mind continuously since Finn's return to his own body. He had tried time and time again to push Balor back into that small black box in his subconscious, but the rough voice wouldn't cease.

“To get rid of you.” Finn whispered the words out loud instead of answering Balor in his thoughts. 

In truth, Finn had grown tired of being targeted by other demons because of the sins of Balor. He was also worried about the safety of Aislin. Balor made it no secret that he wanted to use her body if anything were to happen to Finn, but Finn knew he couldn't allow Balor to do that.

Finn had gotten used to having to fight Balor's advances against his will, always ready to push the demon back down into the depths of his mind if he needed to, but he wasn't so sure that Aislin could handle Balor's will when it was his full soul inside of her. 

Finn started to wonder if he would feel empty without Balor always being there with him. He would have no powers to protect anyone with if the demon were gone. Finn shook his head and quickly shut the thought away. The man and the demon had a unique relationship. At first, Finn had hated what he'd become. He hated the growling voice in his head, and he hated everything that Balor tried to tell him.

Eventually, Finn and Balor had both learned to co-exist with each other. Finn was able to use Balor's power to his advantages, and Balor was happy to finally have a body that he might be able to take over for good. Balor had given Finn advice on fighting, and tips on how to use the magic that Finn had pulled from Balor. The only reason Balor had helped Finn was to make sure that Finn's body stayed alive, but it was still help, nonetheless. 

Now Finn realized he wouldn't have even needed Balor's powers if it weren't for the demons targeting him because of what Balor had done in the past.

_He'll just kill us both._

Finn sighed and focused on the walk down the narrow hall, attempting to shut the demon out again.

_Didn't I tell you not to trust him?_

“You did,” Finn admitted in a quiet tone. “But if this man knows of any way to get rid of you and protect Aislin, then I'll accept it.”

_He'll kill her, too._

Finn knew that the demon was just trying to use scare tactics. He had no reason to believe that Aleister would want Aislin dead. If that were the case, he wouldn't have helped Finn and Dean when they were walking right into a trap of dead bodies. Aleister had taken those bodies on so that Finn and Dean could get to Aislin quicker. Plus, there was that _other_ thing that Finn had realized in the kitchen at Aislin's apartment.

“No he won't.”

Finn felt his muscles tense after he spoke. There was a pressure forming in his head that got heavier by the second, a sign that Balor was trying once again to gain possession of him. Finn stopped walking and leaned his broad shoulders against the cold stones of the wall. He closed his now blood-colored eyes and focused all of his inner-strength on putting the demon in his place. After a few seconds, the tension eased and Finn could breath at a normal rate again, his eyes once more the crystalline blue color of the human.

“This is my body, Balor.” Finn's Irish accent held determination as he straightened his back once more. Finn needed Balor gone—the sooner, the better.

Continuing his path down the hallway, Finn started walking forward again. He finally reached the end of the path, the doorway opening up to reveal the room he had seen Aleister sitting in. To his surprise, there were still bodies all over the floor. 

Finn slowly stepped toward the bodies, realizing that they were all dead this time, not being controlled by anyone. With a sigh, Finn knelt down beside one of the corpses and placed his palms on the ground.

“No one deserves to rot down here,” he whispered to himself as he used Balor's magic to send the bodies back into the earth.

After the bodies had vanished into the light, Finn looked around the room, searching for any sign of Aleister. The room only contained one torch hanging on the wall without a fire. The total darkness had nothing to hide. The only hint that Aleister had even been the room in the first place was the scent of his blood hanging in the air. Finn deeply inhaled the scent of the black magician, so familiar, yet so different at the same time. He began to wonder exactly how far away from Aislin Aleister might actually be at any given time.

Giving up on his search there, Finn turned his back and started walking back toward the outside entrance of The Undertaker's lair.

_I told you he wouldn't be here._

As hard as Finn had tried to erase the demon's voice, Balor still found a way to brag about being right whenever he could.

When he reached the outside world, Finn turned into the smoke that let him travel through the night unseen and headed back to his and Aislin's house.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The title is another Black Veil Brides song that fits Finn/Balor perfectly in my head. <3  
> New adventures starting now. =D
> 
> "The devil in the mirror  
> Screaming that my heart is flawed  
> I'm never gonna let you win.  
> No, I will not surrender  
> Even if I start to fall  
> I swear to you I'll rise again."


	49. Chapter 49

_**Finn** _

Finn kept the smoke around him as he neared the house that he and Aislin shared. It was a three bedroom house on the outskirts of town. Aislin had loved the idea of having spare bedrooms in case anyone needed help and needed to stay over, and Finn was amazed at the fact that she would pick a house based on how she could help people with it. The beige colored siding came into view and Finn slowed his movements, floating in his smoke up to the large front yard.

Suddenly, Finn felt a sharp pain throughout his body and couldn't move. He was stuck in the mist, unable to disperse it so that he could appear in his human body again. His breathing sped up as he realized he was practically paralyzed inside Balor's magic. Fear swam through his blood, and the first thought that went through his mind was that Balor had done something to him, but Finn had never felt Balor make this kind of pain inside his body before. 

_It isn't my doing._

After the demon spoke, Finn took a deep, steadying breath. He focused on whatever magic had him frozen in place, and he realized that Balor wasn't lying. The force keeping him in his position wasn't coming from within his body, but on the outside. 

Finn moved his red eyes hastily around the yard, but saw no one. Some of the neighbors' lights were still on, but they were all inside, safe from the cold night. The nice, young couple across the street were probably snuggled up together with their two children watching a movie, and he thought he saw the older couple through the window in the house beside theirs busy cooking the Thanksgiving turkey for the next day. Nothing seemed out of the ordinary to him. 

It was already nine o'clock, and Finn knew Aislin should have been headed home, so he needed to find whatever threat had him in its clutches before she got back to the house.

Sliding his eyes from the houses, Finn noticed something moving in the only small tree in their front yard. He focused on the dark silhouette and realized that it was a large crow, the black bird perched on the lowest branch of the tree. Its sleek feathers and rounded beak blended in with the night, but something was different about this crow, other than its unnaturally large body. 

Normally, those birds had dark brown eyes. This crow, however, had intelligent, calm green irises, which were staring directly into Finn's own eyes, even though he should be hidden in the fog around him. Finn's breath caught when the bird let out a shrill shriek. The song of the crow sounded too human-like for Finn's liking.

_You wanted to find him..._

The demon's voice trailed off inside Finn's mind as the crow flew down from the branch and landed directly in front of him, the large wings sending a cold breeze against Finn's skin. The chill didn't bother Finn, though, thanks to the demon inside him. What almost made Finn shiver was what happened next.

Finn watched with amazement as a thick cloud of smoke surrounded the black bird, almost as if it were mocking the state it had Finn trapped in. As the fog rose up around the bird's head, it once again called out. Finn couldn't take his eyes off of the creature in front of him, especially when he heard bones start cracking and relocating in different positions. Finn cringed as he silently thanked the heavens that Balor's transformation didn't require bones to break.

A familiar, human body materialized in front of Finn, and he breathed a sigh of relief at seeing the man. Aleister was standing in front of him, wearing a grey suit with a black, button down shirt underneath. His hands were kept in his pockets as he stared at Finn, his cool green eyes looking through the mist and straight to the man underneath it. His steady gaze was almost enough to make Finn regret searching for him, and the way Aleister eyed Finn said he had known all along that he was being sought out. Aleister looked thoughtful for a moment, then removed his right hand from the pocket of his pants.

He waved his hand in front of the smoke once, and Finn could finally move again. After taking a quick glance around the neighboring houses, making sure no one was watching what was happening, Finn released the fog and became solid flesh and bone once more. He stood up tall and trained his eyes on Aleister once again.

Finn and Aleister stood in silence at first, each man eyeing the other in an attempt to size each other up. Finn had been looking for Aleister, so he was confused as to why the black magician had found him first. It seemed as though Aleister hadn't wanted to be found, so him appearing here with no warning raised Finn's defenses.

Finn took a deep breath and moved his hand up to stroke his beard thoughtfully, finally deciding to break the silence. “I've been looking for you, Aleister.”

Aleister nodded his head, showing that he knew he had been the target of Finn's recent search. Finn watched Aleister, waiting for him to say something, but he remained eerily quiet. Surprisingly, Balor was also being silent. Finn thought for sure that the demon would be up in arms about Aleister being right in front of him, so Balor's lack of remarks surprised Finn.

“I wanted to ask you for your help,” Finn admitted after another moment of silence. “I was hoping—”

Aleister put his hand up in front of Finn, cutting him off before he spoke. “You think I don't know why you were out looking for me?” There was a slight accent in the way he spoke, but it wasn't as prominent as Finn's Irish accent, and he couldn't tell exactly where it came from. His voice was not as strained as it was when Finn had heard him speak in the dark room, either, but it still held an intensity like Finn had never heard before. 

“Then why did you just now appear? Why didn't you show up sooner?” Finn asked him, his voice kept quiet in case the neighbors got nosy. “I need a way to rid myself of the demon.”

“I gave your ancestors the only way to get rid of Balor for good.” Aleister's answer was not what Finn wanted to hear. He knew that Aleister had made the dagger, which was why he thought Aleister might know of some other way to kill Balor. He wanted a way to kill the demon without losing his own life in the process.

“There has to be another way.” Finn's voice almost sounded desperate. “The dagger will kill both Balor and me. Aislin already used it on us once after we defeated The Undertaker, but I know she doesn't want to be put in the position to use it again.” Finn raised the hem of his green t-shirt to show Aleister the scar that still remained beside his hip. Aislin's magic had healed every other injury on him, but it wouldn't get rid of the scar that the dagger caused. The thin line on his skin was a reminder to him of what would happen if Balor ever gained the power to transform again.

Finn quickly reigned in his emotions as he dropped the fabric back down over his stomach. He didn't need to be showing this man any vulnerability, he thought to himself. “Is there any way to kill him without killing me?”

Aleister watched Finn, seemingly considering his words carefully, but once again stayed silent.

“If I can't stop Balor, Aislin will be in danger. I can feel my control slipping more and more each day. I need to get this taken care of—for her safety.” Finn tried to reason with Aleister, though he wasn't sure how well it would work. He was hoping that Aleister would have a soft spot in his heart for Aislin, though, much like he himself had. 

“Just leave her. You won't have to worry about hurting her then.” Aleister's reply came quickly, and it made Finn's skin crawl.

Finn swept his gaze to the ground between them, then spoke in almost a whisper. “I can't just leave her. I need her probably more than she needs me.”

“She has other friends capable of watching over her if you leave,” Aleister pointed out, obviously speaking of the hellhounds. “And you've gone over a hundred years without her. Balor doesn't need to be around her.”

Finn returned his gaze to Aleister then. “That's exactly why I need to kill him. He doesn't need to be around her.”

“How do you think your family got their hands on that dagger to begin with?” Aleister's sudden question took Finn by surprise, and he didn't have an answer for him.

Aleister looked up to the clear night sky and took a deep breath. “When Balor first started possessing people, I cast a spell that let me see where his soul would travel to next. I knew every person he would possess—up until you. After you, there was no one.” Aleister returned his gaze to Finn then, placing his hand back into his pocket.

Finn was curious as to why Aleister was explaining this to him, but he felt as though it would be useful information. “So you knew how many people he would kill before I got control of him?”

Aleister answered with a nod of his head. “I did.” 

“Then why didn't you stop Balor sooner?” Finn asked, his voice growing aggravated. He was wondering how Aleister could know of the thousands of deaths that Balor had caused, but not do anything to stop them. Maybe, Finn thought, he didn't have a heart to begin with.

“I couldn't. Balor couldn't transform their bodies without them self-destructing, so the dagger was useless.” Realization dawned on Finn, and he knew that Aleister was right. “I made sure that blade fell into your hands because I knew Balor would be able to use you as he wished.”

“Why was I the last one you could see with him? Does that mean he and I are going to die together?” Finn started putting the pieces together in his mind, hoping that he was wrong.

“That's what was supposed to happen. The Undertaker was supposed to kill you with the dagger.” Aleister's words sent another chill through Finn's skin. “But...”

Aleister trailed off and turned his attention to the neighboring houses, almost like he didn't want to go on.

“What changed? If you could see the future of Balor, why wasn't it accurate?” Finn asked him, his voice low. He decided to take a guess after a long pause from Aleister. “The Undertaker would have killed her, too. That's what was supposed to happen, wasn't it?”

“It was.” Again, Aleister stared right into Finn's eyes, an understanding between them. “That's why I interfered and changed it.”

“Where will Balor go next, then?” Finn questioned, dreading the answer.

“I think you know.”

He did. Balor had been telling Finn since the fight with Wyatt that if anything happened to his body, Balor was going straight for Aislin. Finn released a short sigh and immediately started trying to plan out his next course of action. He could let Balor have control long enough for Aislin to kill them, but he knew she wouldn't want to do that. He thought he could always count on Seth or Dean to do it for him, but the thought of dying at their hands made his skin crawl. Maybe he could just hold off Balor until after Aislin had lived her human life, then let the hellhounds do it. At least then, he could join her in the afterlife.

“Your body is getting weak. Especially after two successful transformations from Balor.” Aleister said, catching Finn's attention once again. “You aren't going to be able to hold him off for much longer.” It was almost as if Aleister had read Finn's mind, something that Finn wasn't entirely sure _didn't_ happen.

“How much longer do you think I have, then?” He wasn't sure if Aleister had a definite timeline or not, but he was hoping for a few more years with Aislin.

“A month, tops.” It wasn't exactly the answer Finn was wanting. “If he even manages to transform again, you aren't coming back afterwards. I've seen this scenario play out two ways now through my magic.” Aleister removed his hand from his pocket again to count off the ways on his fingers. “The first way is that Balor gets control, and Aislin kills him and you after he hurts her enough to convince her you aren't regaining control. The second way is that he tries to get control again, but your body breaks.” 

“Why are there two possible outcomes?” Finn asked, thinking that neither of those options sounded good.

“It all depends on how much help you get from me,” Aleister answered, surprising Finn. “You make her smile, so I've already been trying to find another way to get rid of him. The future spell can't predict my magic.”

Finn realized there _was_ a soft spot in Aleister's heart for Aislin, and he was glad for it. His blood started pumping faster when he knew that Aleister was on their side. “How can we do it, then?”

Aleister held both of his hands out in front of Finn before speaking. “I may have found a way, but it's very dangerous. Don't tell Aislin and don't get her involved.”

Finn nodded his head, determination setting in.

Aleister lowered his hands and began explaining his plan. “There is one spell that I can try, but to use it, I'll need the blood of a demon stronger than Balor.”

Finn's eyes grew wide, wondering where they would find a demon stronger than the self-proclaimed Demon King. “Are there any demons that strong?”

Aleister gave a slight nod. “There is one. She's locked away in Lough Derg in Ireland.”

_NO!_

Balor's voice was furious inside Finn's head, and Finn had a feeling that he knew why. The demon said to be banished into that lake was supposed to be the mother of all demons and devils, Caoránach. Of course she would be strong, if she were still alive. She had been banished by Saint Patrick thousands of years ago, and no demon had heard from her since then.

“Control the demon.” Aleister's cool words made Finn realize that fire had formed around his clenched fists.

Taking a deep breath, he concentrated on shoving Balor back into the cage inside his mind. Finally, the flame went out.

“How do we get her blood?” Finn asked after he was sure there would be no trace of Balor's growl in his voice.

“I'll come back later and we'll discuss that. Right now, I'm working on getting one more person to help us, but I need more time. I'll come back to you when I need more from you. For now, focus on keeping control of Balor.”

With his words, Aleister transformed back into the crow in a cloud of smoke, and flew away into the night. A few seconds later, Aislin's car pulled into the driveway.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Caoránach is pronounced "kee-ra-nock," if I did my research right.  
> "In Irish folklore, Caoránach was said to be the mother of demons and devils who was banished by Saint Patrick to Loch Dearg in Donegal, Ulster." - wikipedia.  
> There isn't a lot of information about her that I could find, but I came across her while doing a search on Irish mythology and legends, and I really liked the idea of a demon stronger than Balor. =]


	50. Chapter 50

_**Aislin** _

I got home and noticed Finn standing in the front yard, a hard look settled on his face as he gazed up into the star-filled sky. I got out of the car and grabbed a bag that I had sitting in my passenger seat. Finn finally turned his attention to me, his expression brightening almost instantly when his eyes met mine. It was dark, but the half full moon illuminated his features, making his blue eyes seem like sparkling pools of crystal clear lake water under the moonlight of a fall night. The sight of him was breathtaking, and I wished that taking a picture would do it justice; but I knew there was no chance that an ordinary camera would catch this moment perfectly.

“Welcome home, love,” he said as he held his hand out to me.

“What are you doing out here?” I asked with a smile as I took his hand and started to lead him up the sidewalk and into our house. I took notice of the fact that he was only wearing a green t-shirt and jeans. “It's freezing.”

He followed me up the short path and stopped when I did, turning his gaze back up to the sky. “I was just thinking.” After his answer, a slow smile spread on his lips and he looked back to me. “And you know that the cold doesn't bother me.”

“Then I guess you don't need this nice jacket that I got fixed for you then, do you?” I asked as I released his hand and pulled his black leather jacket from the bag. Dean had helped me find a place to take Finn's jacket to get the sleeves fixed after they had been burned while Balor was controlling me against Wyatt. It had just been sitting in the apartment since it got ruined, and I had grabbed it during our move into the new house.

Finn smiled liked a kid on Christmas as he held the jacket out to inspect the sleeves, then he looked back at me, the grin still on his face as he lowered the jacket in one hand and pulled me into a hug with the other. “Thank you, darlin'. I love it.”

“I'm glad,” I said as I wrapped my arms around his waist, returning his hug. He slowly removed his arms from around me before I started digging through my purse, retrieving the key to unlock the front door. “What were you thinking about?”

“Where to look next.” His answer was almost hesitant as he stepped inside the house behind me, and it meant that he hadn't had any luck in finding Aleister. I instantly regretted asking the question after seemingly spoiling his good mood.

I flipped the light on so that I could see the living room, looking around at the beige couch that came from my apartment on the far wall, along with a new, matching love seat on the back wall that my mom had given us. I hung my jacket up in the small closet behind the front door, and slipped my shoes off to leave them lying beside the door. I didn't want to get the new hardwood floor dirty after only having lived there for a couple of weeks.

Finn followed me into the kitchen and watched as I laid my purse on the table and headed toward the refrigerator for a Pepsi.

“You didn't find him back there?” I asked, knowing he had planned on searching again at the only place he had seen Aleister so far.

“No, there was no sign of him there.” His answer came fast, and I knew he must be getting frustrated with the whole situation.

“Maybe tomorrow you'll have some luck,” I told him as I stood beside the counter and took a drink of my soda.

My mom had invited both me and Finn to her house for Thanksgiving dinner, and we had planned on staying the night there afterwards because of the long drive. They lived right outside of Nashville, so it was a four hour drive for us to get there. My hope was that since Aleister seemed to visit my mom periodically, maybe he would show up while we were there. I was just worried that he would avoid the house because of us being there. It didn't seem like he wanted Finn to find him.

“Yeah.” His word was no more than a whisper as he stepped up to me against the counter and looked down to meet my gaze before speaking again. “Let's go get packed, then maybe we can work on getting our minds off of Aleister and Balor for a while.”

The sly smile Finn sent me made my stomach twist, and I couldn't help the grin that I felt sliding onto my own lips. I wasn't going to question Finn's sudden change in attitude or why he seemed more optimistic. The past few weeks had been hard on him, and now that he was finally in a better mood, I wasn't going to ruin it.

We headed for the bedroom to pack a few things for the next day. I opened my closet door to pull out an extra pair of jeans and a shirt while Finn rummaged through his own closet beside mine, but my eyes slid up to the shelf above the clothes. Sitting in the top of the closet was an old shoe box with the words “old pictures” written on the front in marker, but it wasn't pictures that I had hidden in the box. Inside of it was the dagger that would kill Balor. I wondered if I should pack it as well, but I quickly shook the thought from my mind. I knew that Finn would be fine and remain in control of Balor, at least for the next two days.

I grabbed my clothes and turned around to see Finn watching me as he zipped his bag up.

“You done already?” I asked, placing my things in my own bag.

“All done,” he replied with a smile as he sat his bag down in front of the bed.

I quickly finished tossing all of my things into my bag, then laid it in the floor with Finn's. True to his word, we soon forgot all about demons and magic.

 

The next morning, we woke up early and loaded our bags into the car before starting our journey to my parents' house. Finn had been quieter than normal through the morning, but I hadn't mentioned it right away. I wasn't sure what was running through his mind, but I was sure it had to do with Balor.

“Are you okay?” I asked Finn as I started the car and pulled into the road. I didn't want him to be miserable through the whole trip, so if there was any way I could help get his spirits up again, I was willing to try.

“I'm fine,” he answered as he turned his serious expression in my direction. “Just a little nervous.”

“I'm sure you'll be okay. Balor hasn't even shown on you in a couple of days. You're doing good at keeping him away.” I gave him my best reassuring smile when I stopped at the red light at the end of the road.

“I'm actually not nervous about Balor.” He turned his attention to rolling up the sleeves on his black button up shirt.

I wasn't sure what else he could be nervous about at that point. I had seen the man take on the second strongest demon in the world without hesitation, so if something was worrying him, I knew it had to be bad.

My face dropped and my stomach started flipping when I tried to imagine what else could make Finn feel that way. “What's wrong? Another demon? A stronger one? Do we need to tell my parents that we can't make it? Do I need to call Dean and Seth for backup?”

Finn's reaction to my questions only confused me more. His slight grin looked almost sheepish as he rubbed the back of his head. “Actually,” he spoke around his smile, “I'm nervous about meeting your family.”

I was stunned at his admission, and I remained silent until his words actually processed in my mind. Before I could stop myself, I had started giggling. “The big bad Demon King is nervous about meeting some humans?”

“Remember, darlin',” he started as he moved his hand to my thigh, the smile still plastered to his face, “I'm just a human who happens to play host to a demon's soul. I still get nervous about certain things.”

 

The rest of the drive was spent talking about normal things. I had warned Finn that my dad might try to act all big and bad at first, but he was nothing to stress about. He just always tried to act like that when I brought any guy home. I had to tell him that my grandmother—my dad's mom—would probably ask him all about where he was from, and she may forget that she had even asked and ask him again, but he promised he would be patient with her. My aunt and uncle would probably be there, along with my two little cousins, so absolutely no talk of demons. While I was sure my mom and dad knew about everything, I didn't think that a five year old and a six year old needed to hear about scary monsters.

Finally, we pulled onto the small, dead end street that my parents' house was on. I pulled up to the driveway and stared at the white house, remembering all the other Thanksgiving dinners and holidays that were held there. This place brought back memories for me, and I was glad to be back for a while. 

We got out of the car, and my dad was already standing in the open front door of the house, a huge smile on his face. It had been months since I'd seen him, and I was happy that he had apparently gotten over being mad at me for moving. His sun-tanned skin still looked the same, but the grey color in his hair seemed to be a little more prominent since the last time I had seen him. I put my phone in the back pocket of my jeans and Finn grabbed our two bags out of the back seat before we both walked up to the door.

“Welcome home,” Dad said as he held the door open for us to step inside of the yellow painted living room. The smell of the turkey in the oven attacked my senses, and I remembered that I hadn't eaten breakfast before we left the house.

“It's good to be back for a little bit,” I told him as I gave him a hug.

I noticed my dad's scrutinizing gaze on Finn, his dark brown eyes quickly moving from Finn's face to mine. “You can just sit those bags on the couch for now.”

Finn did as my dad instructed, then turned back around and held out his hand. “It's nice to meet you, sir. My name's Finn.”

My dad shook Finn's hand and introduced himself, using his “dad” voice, as I liked to call it—the one where he tried to make his voice sound deeper and gruffer than it actually was. “My name's David.”

“Is that Aislin I hear?” My grandmother came around the corner from the kitchen and slowly walked up to me, greeting me with a smile that reached her hazel eyes as she pulled me into a hug. She was eighty-three years old and seemed very fragile, but her hugs were still some of the fiercest ones I'd ever felt. Her short white hair tickled my cheek as I pulled away from her.

After I introduced her to Finn, we went into the kitchen to find my mom running around, trying to get everything ready before everyone else got there. The only people that were missing were my aunt and uncle and their kids, and it was still an hour before they were supposed to be there. I tried to help my mom out, but felt like I was just getting in the way more than anything.

“You know how she is about her cooking,” Dad said with a smile as he came into the kitchen and sat down at the table, then placed his head in his hand. “If you don't do it exactly like she does, then it isn't right.”

“You okay?” I asked as I came to stand behind him.

“Just a headache,” he answered, taking his head out of his hand and looking up to me.

“Here, I can fix it.” I hated the idea of him having a headache through supper, and when the kids got to the house, it would just get worse, so I figured I could help him. I didn't want him to be grumpy through our visit.

He looked up at me, confusion in his oak colored eyes, but I ignored it. I put two of my fingers against his temple and sent a small wave of magic into him. I was used to healing life-threatening injuries, so I knew that I needed to tone it down a lot for a simple headache.

After I was done, he looked up at me with wonder. “How did you do that? It's completely gone now.”

“What do you mean? I just—”

My mom cut me off before I could say anything else. “Aislin, can you help me for a minute.”

I wasn't sure what she wanted help with, but I agreed. I looked to Finn, who was watching my dad with a concentrated stare, then followed my mom out of the kitchen and into the spare bedroom at the back of the hall.

“What's wrong?” I asked her, knowing that she probably didn't need any help with anything.

“It's just that...” she trailed off, not sure of her next words. After a moment of thinking, her blue-grey eyes found mine again. “Dad doesn't really like talking about magic and demons and things like that. So let's try not to mention it or use any more magic tonight, okay?”

“But he seemed like it was fine when I healed him,” I pointed out, not sure where she was going with this.

She took a deep breath then. “Your grandma doesn't know anything about it. And neither does your aunt or uncle. None of them have any kind of powers, so let's just keep it between us tonight.” Her voice was almost pleading as she spoke.

“Okay, no problem.” A thought occurred to me, and I decided to ask my mom about it while I had her alone. “Have you heard from Aleister lately? Finn still hasn't found him.”

Her gaze studied my face for a moment, then she answered, “He hasn't, huh?”

“No. He's looked all over the place, but we were hoping maybe we could find him while we're here.” I knew it was a long shot, but if she had heard from him then it would at least let us know he was still in the area.

“I haven't seen him since he took me to your apartment,” she answered, but it almost seemed hesitant. “I told you, if he wanted to be found, he would be.”

“Right,” I replied on a sigh, before we both headed back to the kitchen.


	51. Chapter 51

Dinner went by with no big disasters. There were no demons coming to destroy anything, no one almost dying, and no one appearing out of nowhere in the room. It was nice to be around my family again with no one in danger. We weren't having to look over our shoulders for anything, and the only real threat we had to worry about was Finn losing his hold over Balor—but even that wasn't likely to happen because Finn was still strong enough to hold him down.

After everyone else had left and the kitchen was cleaned up, my mom, dad, Finn, and I were all sitting around the living room. Finn and I were sitting on the couch with my mom, and my dad was sitting in his recliner across from us. They were getting to know Finn, and I was glad that they seemed to like him. I felt my phone in my pocket start to vibrate, so I pulled it out to see that I had a picture message from Dean.

I started laughing as soon as I looked at the picture. I only hoped that the charred, black thing I was looking at used to be a turkey and not a person, and Dean's message proved me right.

“SETH ALMOST BURNED DOWN THE HOUSE TRYING TO COOK THIS THING. PLEASE BRING US LEFT OVERS. I'M STARVING. HE'S STARVING ME.”

Everyone turned their attention to me, but my phone started buzzing again. This time, it was a message from Seth.

“Dean was supposed to time the turkey! It isn't my fault it's burned. We've never done this before. Roman always cooked the big meals. But we might be hungry when you get back into town tomorrow.”

I quickly showed Finn the picture to explain why I had started laughing, but he didn't really seem as amused as I was. His focus was on the big double window behind my dad's chair, and it didn't stray from the window for long when I showed him the text. I could hardly see anything outside of the window because it was already dark and there were no street lights around my parent's house, but I didn't think I had seen any kind of threat. The only thing I could make out in the darkness beyond the glass was the neighbor's orange cat walking back toward its house and a large crow sitting in the tree in the front yard.

I decided that I would ask Finn about what he had seen later. I didn't want to make my parents worry about anything while we were here, so instead of saying anything about it, I turned the phone to my mom so she could see. I realized her gaze was also on the window for a moment, but when I turned to her, she looked at my phone and started laughing.

“I think I need to visit again just to show them how to cook,” she joked as she tilted her head to get a better look at the picture.

“Finn, what is that on your arm? It almost looks like an allergic reaction.” I heard my dad ask, and my heart started beating faster.

I turned back around to Finn, looking down to the arm that he was quickly covering up. Sure enough, there were red patterns starting to form across his pale skin. I noticed the patterns had also started creeping up his neck, and I just hoped that he could get control of himself before anything happened. I wasn't sure why Balor had been able to sneak through all of a sudden, but at least the kids were gone, I thought to myself.

My mind automatically began to regret not bringing the dagger, but I quickly pushed that thought away. Finn was still in control. I wouldn't ever need to use that blade again if Finn had any say in the matter. I was just hoping that he still did have a say.

Finn closed his eyes and took a deep, ragged breath before standing up and speaking, keeping his eyes cast down to his arm so that the red color peeking through was hidden. “Excuse me.” His voice sounded a little bit too deep for my liking.

Finn walked through the hall and I heard the bathroom door shut, then I turned back to my dad. “I'm sorry, he's—”

“It's okay, Aislin,” Mom interrupted me for the second time that night. “He can't help if he has an allergic reaction to anything.”

I was confused at my mom's reaction. I knew she was aware of what was going on, but she was playing dumb for some reason. Although she had said that Dad didn't like talking about demons, I was sure he would want to hear that Finn was still in control of himself and that Balor wasn't about to go on a killing spree.

“Hopefully it isn't something he ate,” Dad added, rubbing his stomach as if he didn't know about the demon inside of Finn.

Before I could say anything else, Finn walked back into the room, stopping in the doorway to lean against the frame. He had gotten Balor back under control, but it looked like it had worn him out. I noticed his eyes immediately move to the large window again for a brief second, but he quickly turned his gaze to my mom before finally looking at me. He tried to make a smile appear on his lips, but it wasn't quite working.

“Are you okay?” I asked, looking up to him from my seat on the couch.

He nodded his head to me. “I'll be fine.”

My dad leaned up in his chair and looked over to Finn's arms, which were now crossed against his chest. “I think the redness is already gone.”

“Yeah, it is,” Finn said quietly as he turned his eyes in my dad's direction.

My mom spoke up then, her gaze catching Finn's. “You guys look tired.”

Like nothing had happened, my dad stood up and stretched, saying, “I am. I think it's time for this old man to go to bed.”

I watched with confused wonder as my mom joined him. Finn made his way over to me and I got to my feet, both of us heading for the bedroom we would be using for the night after saying goodnight to my parents. Once we were inside with the door closed, we changed our clothes and climbed into the queen sized bed.

“Are you really okay?” I whispered to Finn through the darkness as I laid on my side, facing him.

I could make out the slight smile on his face beside me in the dark room, and was glad when he said, “I'm okay. It was just a slip up that won't happen again.”

“What were you seeing out the window earlier?” I had come to the conclusion that whatever he had seen was at fault for Balor's appearance.

I felt his body stiffen just the slightest bit at my question, so I automatically raised my guards. If there was something outside of this house that had Finn on edge, then that meant that my parents were in danger.

“I didn't see anything. It was just my eyes playing tricks on me.” His answer didn't add up, just like a lot of things that had happened during this visit.

“Was it Aleister?” Maybe, I thought, he just didn't want to get my hopes up about finding Aleister, or he didn't want to worry me with what he did see.

“It was nothing.” After he spoke, he placed his warm palm on the side of my face in a comforting motion, but it didn't help.

“If it was nothing, why did it make Balor so angry that he had the chance to get under your skin?” I questioned, my voice barely above a whisper. “You can tell me. What was it?”

Finn moved his hand back to the mattress before he looked up to the ceiling and finally said, “It was just a crow. I thought I saw something in the trees, but it was only a crow.”

“Finn, I feel like I'm being left out of something,” I admitted as I sat up and switched on the lamp that was sitting on the bedside table.

Finn sat up with me, both of us sitting cross-legged across from each other on the bed. His bright blue eyes were trained on me, but he kept quiet, waiting for me to elaborate.

I took a deep breath before explaining myself. “My dad seems like he doesn't know about anything. When Mom pulled me aside after I fixed Dad's headache, it was so she could tell me not to mention magic or demons tonight because Dad doesn't like talking about it, and because no one else knows anything. My aunt is my dad's sister, and my grandma is my dad's mom, so they don't have any magic. I could understand not mentioning it while they were here, so I didn't.”

“That makes sense.” His reply was short, but I knew it was because he wanted me to go on.

“But while you were in the bathroom, I started to let them know that you were still in control so that they wouldn't worry, but Mom stopped me. Then Dad acted like he had no idea what had happened. I thought that maybe he just didn't know about you, but I remembered how he had seemed really surprised when I fixed his headache. He's supposed to know about magic, at the very least, since he and mom decided to hide mine when it became active, but he didn't seem to realize what had happened.”

“Maybe he just didn't know that your power had been awakened yet,” Finn offered, but it still made no sense to me.

“Even if he didn't, he would have known what I had done to him then. Surely he wouldn't have had to ask how I did it.” I was trying to keep my voice down so that we wouldn't bother my parents while they were trying to sleep, but my whispers were getting louder as my mind worked harder to figure this out. “There's another thing not making sense, too.”

Finn stayed quiet again, watching me as I pushed a few stray hairs out of my face. 

“When we got back from the battle with The Undertaker, Mom was on the phone with Dad. But she was lying about why she was staying longer.”

Finn made a small “hmm” sound at my realization, but quickly explained it away. “She probably didn't want him to worry about you. Especially if he doesn't like the topic of demons.”

I laid back down then, draping my arm above my head as I rested my back against the mattress. Finn laid down beside me, turning on his side so that he could look over to me. I moved my head to look in his direction, and he kept his gaze on my eyes.

“Why was it only your dad's relatives here tonight?” Finn asked quietly, taking me by surprise as he smiled. “I had imagined us walking into a house full of healers when we got here.”

I scrunched my face up, trying to figure out why that was suddenly on his mind. “Both of Mom's parents died shortly after she met Dad. She was an only child.” I stopped to think of the cause of my grandparents' deaths, remembering that my mom had told me there was a house fire when she was younger, and it had killed both of her parents.

Once again, Finn made a quiet “hmm” noise as he turned his head to look toward the ceiling. “I'm sorry. I shouldn't have asked.”

“Why?” I asked, not sure about where he was going with this.

He looked back to me and smiled. “Just trying to get the conversation away from demons for a while. I think you're overthinking everything.”

I rolled my eyes, but couldn't help to smile back at him. Maybe I _was_ just overthinking things, I thought. Finn was probably right and Mom didn't want Dad to worry about The Undertaker. Maybe he just asked how I fixed his headache because he wasn't sure about my magic being there. And maybe he didn't realize who was inside of Finn. If he didn't like the topic of conversation drifting to the supernatural things, I could see why my mom would never mention it to him.

“The hounds' turkey looked like it had been cooking for a week.” Finn was once again trying to change the subject, so I let him.

I laughed again as I turned my head back toward the ceiling and put my arm over my eyes. “I can't say much about it. I probably couldn't do any better.”

Finn chuckled at my response, and our conversation slowly died down. I noticed it didn't take long for him to fall asleep after I'd stopped worrying too much about what my dad did and did not know. 

It must wear Finn out to have to keep his focus on Balor, I thought to myself as I turned onto my side to watch his chest slowly rise and fall. He had acted happy around my family, but I could tell that he had been concentrating on Balor. He had been trying his hardest to remain in control ever since he got his body back. He had said that Balor felt different than he did before—stronger than he had been—but Finn was also strong. I just worried about his mental health while all of this was going on. Having to constantly focus on not turning into a demon and killing everyone around you would definitely take a lot out of a person.

Finn wouldn't be able to move past this until Balor was gone, so the quicker we found Aleister, the better.


	52. Chapter 52

_**Finn** _

Finn wasn't sure what caused him to jump from his sleep, but something in his mind told him that he needed to wake up. He sat straight up in the bed and let the blanket slip down his bare chest. His stare moved around the dark room, his body always on guard when he had these ominous feelings. After he realized there was nothing else in the room, he looked down to see Aislin's sleeping form beside him, her smaller body still as she enjoyed her deep slumber. He couldn't help the small smile that made itself at home on his lips as he imagined curling back up on the warm bed with her, but he needed to figure out why he was suddenly awake before he could lay back down beside her and relax.

_It's nothing. Go back to sleep._

Finn almost growled at the demon in his head. He wasn't sure why Balor wanted him to ignore the suspicious feeling creeping along his skin, but he knew he had to figure out what it was if he wanted to actually go back to sleep. The way Balor had spoken, it sounded like he already had an idea of why Finn had been woken from his sleep. Because of the fact that Balor never actually slept, he had probably felt the odd sensation before Finn had even woken up.

Finn decided to slowly ease himself off the bed, careful not to make too many movements and wake up Aislin. Taking light steps, he made his way to the window and looked out, sliding his eyes over the large backyard and through the trees at the far end. That was when Finn saw him again.

Finn had seen the crow outside of the house after supper, and that was exactly what had pissed Balor off. He had a good feeling that was why Balor wanted him to just ignore the sense of urgency when he woke up. Aleister had been creeping around the house all night, but Finn wasn't sure if he was trying to be noticed or not. It certainly seemed as though Kathleen had noticed him, though, but she and Finn had been the only ones.

Pulling power from Balor, Finn let himself be consumed by the thick smoke and slipped out unnoticed through the window of the bedroom. He made his way down to the trees behind the house before he released the smoke and found himself standing face to face with Aleister. The pale green eyes watched Finn as he became solid flesh and bone once again. The cold wind whipped around Finn, who was only wearing a pair of sweatpants, but it didn't bother him. He wasn't sure he could say the same for Aleister, though. The other man had both of his hands tucked inside his heavy black coat.

Aleister's steady gaze never left Finn's face as he began to speak in a calm tone. “In ten days, on December third, you need to meet me at Lough Derg in Ireland at midnight. That's seven o'clock at night here. Bring the dagger.”

Finn felt his eyebrows furrow as he stared at Aleister. “Why in ten days? Can't we do it now?”

Aleister's answer was well thought out. “The moon will be full then, and it will be closer to the Earth than a regular full moon. That will help strengthen my magic considerably. We should be able to do the spell to awaken Caoránach and destroy Balor.”

It made sense, Finn though to himself, but that was ten more days that he would have to keep Balor in check. It was ten more days that Aislin would be in danger. Ten days wasn't a very long time, but it seemed like an eternity when Finn thought about it like that.

“Are we going to be fighting Caoránach?” Finn wanted to know exactly what Aleister had planned so that he could prepare himself.

“If she comes out fighting, then we'll have no choice.” Aleister nodded his head before going on. “We'll have to banish her again when we've got what we need, but if we can do that then we won't have to fight her for longer than it takes to get the blood.”

Finn almost felt bad for the demon. They would be waking her up from a nap that had lasted thousands of years, only to get her blood and return her to the depths of the lake. But it had to be done, he reminded himself.

_She's not going to be happy. She_ will _fight._

Finn didn't need Balor to tell him that. He was sure Aleister already knew that would happen as well.

“Also,” Aleister started as he removed his hand from the pocket of his coat, “give this to Aislin. Make sure she wears it.”

In his hand, Finn saw a small, smooth stone connected to a long, silver chain. The stone was the same light shade of purple amethyst as Aislin's magic was when she had to use a large amount of it, but it was almost transparent. It was shaped like a tiny crescent moon, much like the one in the sky at that moment, and the one tattooed on Aleister's face, just under his left eye. 

“What is it?” Finn asked him as he took the thin chain from Aleister's hand, holding it up between his thumb and finger so that the stone hung in front of his eyes.

“That is a Verzamelen Stone,” Aleister explained, keeping his gaze trained on the necklace.

“Isn't that Dutch for collecting?” Finn asked, finally realizing where that slight accent in Aleister's voice was from. “What are we collecting?”

“Aislin's magic.”

Finn moved his stare from the necklace to Aleister's face, slowly lowering the chain into his other hand. “Why are we stealing her magic?”

“We'll need it.” Aleister sighed as a slight smile appeared on his features. “It will absorb some of her magic that I need, especially if she has to use it while wearing the stone.”

“Won't that hurt her?” Finn thought back to when Kathleen had accidentally stolen all of Aislin's magic at once, remembering the scream of pain that had caused her.

“No. I only need a small amount, and it will gradually take it in over time. She won't even notice it's missing,” Aleister answered before adding, “Don't keep it on you for long. It doesn't need any of Balor's magic.”

Finn let the stone drop from his hand then, once again only holding the chain. “I'm assuming that I'm not supposed to tell her that it's from you, right?”

“Please.”

“What exactly do you plan on doing with her magic? What are you healing?” Finn wanted to know Aleister's exact game plan. He hated only knowing bits and pieces of information, and Aleister seemed to only tell him the bare minimum about what was going on.

“I'm going to need it to get our help,” Aleister answered as he replaced his hand in the pocket of his jacket.

“And who is our help?” Finn questioned him, wondering why Aleister would pick anyone who already needed to be healed as the person who would help them get blood from the most powerful demon in the world.

“You'll know him when you see him.” Aleister's reply was cryptic and it only succeeded in upsetting Finn.

“Why all the secrecy?” Finn asked, getting agitated. “I understand why we need to keep Aislin in the dark here so that she doesn't want to try to help, but I need to know exactly what's going on. What exactly will happen when we get to Ireland? How is this going to work?”

Aleister sighed again, but there was no smile accompanying it this time. He held his steady gaze on Finn's face before finally speaking. “When we get there, I'll have our help ready. I'll summon Caoránach, and you'll need to stab her with the dagger to let it absorb her blood. That's when I'll send her back. Then we'll get rid of Balor.”

“But how are we going to get rid of Balor?” Finn was starting to get anxious about the whole situation. Aleister had wanted to kill Balor long before Finn was possessed by him, so would he really try to spare Finn to accomplish his goal?

_He won't. It doesn't matter to him if you die or not. No matter what he said before, he would still kill you just to make sure I die if it came to that._

Finn closed his eyes and shook his head, not wanting Aleister to see Balor coming through in his irises. It was too late for that, though. Aleister was watching Finn, staying on guard in case Balor got more control than he already had. Finn took a deep breath before returning his eyes to Aleister's calm face.

“I can't tell you that right now. Balor doesn't need to know anything else than what I've already told you.” Aleister's words made sense to Finn once he actually thought it through. Balor didn't need any other details about what would happen, or he could possibly interfere and ruin the whole thing.

Finn just nodded at Aleister as he once again stared down to the necklace. 

“I need to go. I've got more things to do to prepare everything. Just make sure she keeps that on, and I'll be back for it later.” Aleister paused as he looked up to the house, finding the window that Finn had come through. “Make sure to keep that demon under control. I'd hate to have to kill you before everything was ready.” With that, Aleister's bones started cracking and rearranging themselves, turning him back into the giant crow.

Finn watched as Aleister flew off into the night with a loud caw, his last words setting a determination in Finn's mind. He wasn't going to let Balor hurt anyone, especially Aislin, but he wouldn't blame Aleister if he had to step in because of that.

Finn let Balor's mist surround him, returning to the bedroom to find Aislin still fast asleep. He laid the necklace on the table beside the bed, careful not to touch the stone. As he crawled into the bed, his anxious feeling returned.

He wanted to get this over with. As he stared down at Aislin, who had stolen all of the blanket from Finn's side of the bed, his smile from before returned. Watching her interact with her family—especially her small cousins—had caused emotions to stir inside of Finn that he hadn't even realized he was capable of feeling anymore. 

All the smiles around the dinner table made Finn's heart swell as he thought about his own family. He missed being able to spend time with his mother and father, as well as his siblings, but they were all gone. He longed for the days that he could be around people without having to worry about demons attacking. He wanted a family just like what Aislin had. Maybe, he thought to himself wishfully, those people could become his happy family... if Aislin wanted it that way.

Settling down beside her, Finn decided that Aleister's plan would work. Whatever it may have been, it had to work.

_We'll see about that..._

 

_**Aleister** _

After flying away from Kathleen's house, Aleister headed east. He hadn't wanted to leave the house, instead wanting to keep watch over the family in case the sleeping demon inside decided to show himself; but Aleister felt certain that Finn wouldn't let Balor slip up again during their visit. 

Aleister had been keeping an eye on Aislin for longer than anyone realized—even Kathleen. He had only just recently started giving her mother information about what was going on in her life because until she moved out with the ogre, she had been in her mother's care. He had been there from the beginning, however. He had seen her first steps, her first word, her first crush, and her first heartbreak. He had been there on her graduation day, a shadow in the background. 

A shadow is what he had intended on staying for the rest of her life, if he could help it.

Aleister slowed his pace as he neared the area he was looking for. He swept closer to the ground, landing on the cold dirt before returning to his human form. He closed his eyes, feeling out the exact spot he needed to be in before he sat down on the ground, legs crossed in front of him. From the pocket of his coat, he pulled out a small, golden container. It looked like a miniature urn, no bigger than the palm of his hand. He placed it beside his knee before pulling one more thing from his other pocket.

In his hand, he held an orb, almost identical to the one on the end of the dagger, except for the sanguineous color. The slick surface of the orb felt cool in Aleister's hand, but he knew that it would be consumed in heat before it was over, destroying it forever.

He looked from the dirt on the ground, then back to the red stone in his palm. He knew Finn would need help if anything went wrong with Caoránach, but he knew the hellhounds would more than likely tell Aislin if they were asked to join Finn. Aleister appreciated them wanting to look out for her and keep her informed, but this wasn't something she needed to know about until after it was all said and done. No matter which way it played out.

Aleister placed the ruby colored orb back into his pocket, then collected a handful of dirt from the ground, placing it in the small urn sitting beside his knee. That was all he would need to complete his spell.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> All translations are from google translate. =]


	53. Chapter 53

**_Aislin_ **

I woke up the next morning when I felt the bed move beside me. I groggily rolled over and opened my sleepy eyes to see Finn changing into a pair of dark jeans and a light grey t-shirt. He looked over to me and smiled before he came to sit down on the edge of the bed.

“Good morning. Did you sleep well?” he asked as he brushed the hair out of my face.

I smiled at him as I pushed myself to a sitting position. “Like a baby.”

“You weren't too cold?” He asked before chuckling.

I gave him a confused stare and answered, “No. Why?”

He laughed again. “Because you stole all the blanket.”

I grinned at him before apologizing, but he just waved it off with a smile. He reached over and gently took something off the bedside table before turning back to me. Between his fingers was a necklace with a tiny purple moon dangling from a silver chain. I was confused as I looked at the piece of jewelry, unsure of why Finn had it or who it belonged to.

“I wanted to give you this,” he said as he leaned toward me and fastened the chain around my neck.

I looked down to the pendant on my chest, taking it in my hand before returning my gaze to Finn's bright blue eyes. “What is this? It's beautiful.” As I held it, the sun rising in the sky shone through the window and reflected off the crescent moon, sending tiny light beams glittering in my palm.

“It's just something that I wanted you to have. I, uh, found it while I was searching for Aleister, and thought that now was the right time to give it to you.” Finn seemed to stumble over his words as he studied the necklace hanging from the chain, almost like he was uncomfortable with saying them. The way he had said he “found it” didn't sit right with me.

I scrunched my eyebrows as I stared at him. “You found it?”

“I did.” Finn stopped, seemingly not wanting to go into any more detail about where he got it. He suddenly smiled, though. “The color makes me think of your magic.”

“Thank you, Finn,” I said as I once again looked down to the moon in my hand. 

I wasn't going to ask him exactly where he found the necklace. He had never given me anything like this before, so I wanted to enjoy it for what it was. And he was right, I realized. The color was the same shade of purple as the light that surrounded me when I had to use a lot of my magic. That thought, though, reminded me of something else.

“I can smell mom cooking breakfast,” I told Finn as I climbed out of the bed. “I need to get in there before Dad wakes up.”

Finn stood up from the bed, probably thinking that I was going to ask my mom about everything we had talked about before going to sleep the night before, but that wasn't the first thing I needed to ask her.

We both stepped out of the bedroom after I had changed my clothes, and I found my mom in the kitchen, standing over the stove.

“You two finally decide to get up?” she asked in a cheery voice as she turned to see us. She had obviously been up for a while before we had woken up. She was already dressed for the day in jeans and an orange t-shirt, and already had her make-up on.

“We did,” Finn answered as he smiled at my mom.

“I hope you're hungry.” She turned back to the stove to flip the sausage patties she was making before leaning down and looking into the glass door of the oven where she had biscuits baking.

I walked toward the fridge for a can of Pepsi before answering her. “I think I still might be full from all the food I ate last night.”

She laughed at me as I handed Finn a Pepsi from the fridge and walked toward the kitchen table to sit down. I took a peek into the living room and, to my relief, realized I was right about my dad not being awake yet. It was just me, Finn, and Mom in the kitchen.

I took a gulp of my soda as I watched Finn sit down across from me at the table. “Mom, I need to ask you something.”

She replied without taking her attention off the food she was cooking. “What is it, Aislin?”

“I know you said Dad doesn't like talking about this, so I wanted to ask you before he got up.” I paused, watching as Mom turned around from the stove to look at me, eyeing me carefully. “Can you please teach me how to master my magic? I got the feeling by the way you were talking before that you had it mastered.”

Mom's eyes softened at my request, and she came to sit down beside me at the table as she began speaking calmly. “There really isn't any way to physically teach that. I felt how strong your magic is, and you're almost to the point of mastering it now.” A proud smile swept up her lips. 

“I can't even use it without healing myself along the way.” I looked down to the can of soda between my hands. “That's just a waste of magic sometimes, though. Especially when my injuries are just little cuts or burns, and someone else is dying.”

My mom gently laid her hand on my wrist, saying, “You've got all the strength in your magic that you need. It's just how you focus it that needs work.”

“How am I supposed to focus it?” I had never thought about focusing my magic any differently. I found it in my body and pushed it out. I didn't know that there was any other way to do it. The only difference was how much I pushed through. 

“What do you imagine when you use your magic on someone? Do you picture something to help you use the right amount?” She removed her hand from my wrist and laced it with her other one on top of the table, waiting for my answer.

I thought about all the times I had to use my magic, and I realized that I had been picturing water when I let it flow into other people. That was just what made sense in my head. I could picture a small stream when I didn't need to use a lot of magic, or a raging river when I needed to get a lot out quickly.

“I imagine running water—like a river,” I told her, watching her reaction.

She closed her eyes and nodded at me before opening them back and pointing her finger towards her temple. “Okay, put a dam up in your river.”

I was taken back by her words. “That's what I do when I cut it off all together. Like when Shinsuke was trying to get me to waste all of my magic to heal myself before the fight with The Undertaker.” I glanced toward Finn, who was sitting quietly on the other side of the table, just listening to us. “I put a dam up so that none of it would leak out to heal my injuries.”

She moved her hands in front of her, balling one fist up against the palm of her other hand, the motion catching my attention. “Good. But instead of leaving it cut off, picture your river pushing against that dam.” She pushed her fist harder into her palm. “Make the water reach the very top of it, but not overflow.”

I was listening intently to what she was saying, trying to imagine that feeling. It was hard to do when I wasn't actually using my magic, but I had to get it in my mind so that I could remember it.

“When you feel like your dam is about to bust open, move it. Blow it up.” She jerked both of her hands open in a swift motion, holding them up in front of her. “Do whatever you have to do to it so that it's out of the way quickly, that way all of your magic has that force behind it and explodes from your river all at once.”

“So you're saying with that force behind it, it won't stray all over my body?” I asked, making sure I understood her correctly.

“Exactly. It'll be moving way too fast in the direction you're pushing it, so it won't be able to go anywhere else,” she explained after moving her hands back down to the table. “It's quicker than how you do it now, too—especially after you get the hang of building it all up quickly.”

“That's how you healed Dean,” Finn said, catching my attention. “You sent one big blast into him instead of a steady flow of magic like Aislin was doing.”

Mom nodded to him, saying, “Exactly.”

I instantly began to wonder how I could practice her technique. I knew that I would need help, but I wasn't sure who I could ask. In order to practice it, I would need to be injured, along with whoever was helping me, that way I could tell if the magic was only healing the other person and not me. I didn't want to ask Finn, because he was struggling enough with his own demon. Asking Dean or Seth was an option, but I didn't really want to hurt them just so I could figure out my magic. I was sure they wouldn't mind, but it would make me feel bad for even asking such a thing of any of them.

“Aislin,” Mom interrupted my thoughts, and I realized she was staring at the necklace Finn had given me. “Where did you get that necklace?”

I reached up to grab the small, purple moon, smiling as I held it up for her to get a better view. “Finn gave it to me this morning.”

Mom looked at the pendant and started smiling, almost fondly. “It's really cute. It looks good on you.”

I turned my attention to Finn once again, but he was staring at my mom. The look he gave her almost seemed confused, like he was expecting a different reaction from her. I wasn't sure what to make of that, but then he turned his crystal eyes back to me and smiled warmly.

“Finn said it reminded him of the healing magic color,” I pointed out as I smiled back at him.

Mom chuckled as she stood up and walked back toward the stove. “That's _your_ color. Not all healers have the same color.”

I hadn't even thought of that fact because I had never seen any other healer use their magic. I had never seen my mom use magic at all, unless you counted when she siphoned all of mine in my old apartment.

“What's your magic look like, then?” I asked, my curiosity eating at me.

She didn't turn around, but she did answer me. “The last time I had to use it, it was a light shade of red.”

“You haven't used it in a while?” I guessed that she hadn't really had a reason to use it since her life seemed to have calmed down since I was born.

“The last time I had to use it was right after I got pregnant with you. But that's a story for another day.” She turned around to us and smiled again. “For now, go wake up your father. Breakfast is done.”

 

After we had eaten breakfast, it was time for me and Finn to head home. Mom made sure to send us with plenty of leftovers—including a plate of food each for Dean and Seth since she had seen how their Thanksgiving meal had turned out—and warned us to be careful about traffic since it was Black Friday, the biggest shopping day of the year. I promised her that we would be extra careful and let them know when we got home, and then we packed up our bags in the car and left.

After hours of driving, we were finally back in our hometown. Before we got back to our house, though, we made a stop at Dean and Seth's so we could give them their food.

“Thank you, Ai!” Dean said as he pulled his plate of food out of the microwave with a smile. “Seth seriously expected me to eat that... whatever you want to call that thing he made.”

“I just wanted you to try a bite and see if at least the inside was still edible,” Seth defended himself from the kitchen table.

Finn stood in the doorway of the kitchen, his shoulder leaned against the frame, watching them with a slight smile. “None of that looked edible.”

“You showed him?” Seth asked me, giving me his best hurt expression.

I had to laugh at his mock pain. “I tell him everything. You should know that.”

“Yeah, they tell each other everything,” Dean interrupted as he sat down beside Seth, “And it doesn't matter who saw it. What matters is that no one had to eat the thing.”

I walked over to Finn, who had moved his gaze to his feet. “How did you two survive before?”

“On cheap, microwavable food.” Dean stuffed a bite of turkey into his mouth as he answered my question.

“Oh, we heard some exciting news yesterday.” Seth put his fork down and took a drink of the tea he had in his cup before continuing. “You know how Dean and I have been looking for more hellhounds?”

I nodded my head, remembering that Dean had told me about their search shortly after the battle with The Undertaker. They didn't know of any other packs of hellhounds around the area, or in America at all, so they had been looking around other countries. Dean had said that they couldn't really count themselves as a pack with just the two of them, but they could find more hounds and add them to their numbers.

“There might be some more in Italy somewhere,” Seth went on, his voice sounding optimistic. “They aren't a very large group, which is how they managed to stay off Balor's radar, but it's more than what we have right now.”

I felt excited for them as I watched Seth get enthusiastic about it. They needed more hellhounds to join them after it only being the two of them and Roman for so long. When I looked at Dean, though, he didn't seem as happy about it.

“I'll believe it when they're standing in front of me,” Dean said around another bite of food.

Finn spoke up then, finally moving his eyes from the floor. “Do you want me to help you look?”

“You've got your own search going on right now, don't you?” Seth responded, obviously talking about Aleister.

“Yeah, but I can keep my eyes open for more hellhounds while I'm looking.”

“How's that search going, by the way?” Dean asked as he stopped eating long enough to get a drink.

Finn told them that he'd had no luck with finding Aleister, but his mood didn't seem to drop while he talked about it. I was just happy to see that it wasn't upsetting him too bad. It seemed like every day that he couldn't find Aleister was one more day that Balor could take over, but Finn seemed confident that he'd get it taken care of before that happened. His confidence was contagious, and I knew he would be able to find Aleister and get rid of Balor sooner rather than later.


	54. Chapter 54

After we got home from Dean and Seth's house, Finn and I decided to spend the evening watching a movie. I was curled up against his side on the couch in the living room with only the lamp on the small table as a light. We had decided on watching a Christmas movie that happened to be playing on the TV, and we had just been enjoying each other's company for the evening. It was nice for a change, but I couldn't get my mind off of practicing my magic.

“Finn,” I got his attention as I sat up beside him. “What would you say if I told you that I had come up with a plan?”

“I would ask you what your plan was for.” Finn's eyes held amusement, but I wasn't joking.

“It's a plan to kill Balor without involving Aleister.”

Finn's eyes suddenly turned serious as he turned the volume on the TV down all the way and moved his body to face me. “How?”

I had been thinking about the idea ever since my mom said that mastering the healing magic meant I could bring someone back from the dead as long as they hadn't been dead for long. This was my whole reason for wanting to master it. I had slowly come up with this plan, but I hadn't wanted to mention it to anyone until I knew I could pull it off. I still wasn't sure about it, but with my mom's words of encouragement, I felt like I could do it with practice.

I took a deep breath before explaining myself. “You heard what my mom said about healers being able to bring people back from the dead, right?”

Finn nodded at me, his expression still stern. “I did.”

“I'm going to get to that level.” It wasn't just a goal. It was something that I had decided on doing when my mom had first mentioned it. I _would_ get that strong. I had to.

“I'm sure you will.”

“And when I do—when I'm absolutely sure that I can bring someone back from the dead—what would you say to me killing you?”

Finn's eyes grew wide, but understanding dawned on him almost instantly. “I let Balor take control, and you use the dagger to kill him. Then you can bring me back to life.”

“Do you think that would work?”

Finn ran his hand over his short beard as he thought for a moment. “There would be so many 'what if's' in that scenario. What if you bring both myself and Balor back? Or if you only bring Balor back since he would have been the last one in control of my body? What if it doesn't work at all since there were two souls in this body?”

I thought about his different points one by one. “If I bring you both back, then you can keep looking for Aleister to help you. I won't only bring him back. I would make sure that I could pin point your soul before I even tried this. But...” I faltered at his last question. What if I couldn't do it at all? “That's why I wanted to make sure that I would be strong enough before we even thought about the possibility of actually trying this.”

“Aislin...” Finn trailed off as his breathing started getting heavier, the sudden change in his mood taking me by surprise.

I kept my eyes trained on his and realized that they were beginning to change color. His once shining blue eyes were becoming pools of blood as his mouth crept up into a slow grin, showing his elongating teeth. I gasped as I realized that Balor was slowly gaining more and more control.

Finn closed his eyes as a low growl escaped his throat. “Everyone wants me dead, do they?”

“Finn, you have to fight him. I'm nowhere near being able to try this plan right now.” I was trying to get through to Finn as I jumped to my feet in front of the couch, reaching for my phone on the coffee table.

“That's why you probably need to die now.” The gravely voice stopped me in my tracks as I realized it was all Balor. Finn's voice wasn't in the mix anymore, even though it was still Finn's body in front of me. “There's no need to keep you around if you plan on killing me.”

I watched as Finn opened his now crimson eyes and slowly made his way to his feet. I could tell that he was fighting Balor as hard as he could because his whole body was shaking with the effort to keep the demon from attacking me.

“You're stronger than he is, Finn.” I stood my ground in front of him, holding my phone behind my back. I was trying to dial a number without him noticing, and I just hoped that I was tapping the right buttons on the screen.

“Aislin... run.” Finn's raspy voice broke through in short gasps before it was once again replaced by Balor's. “I used to like you. I used to like Finn, too. But now everyone wants me dead. All because I want this body.”

Finn's now black and red patterned arm quickly shot out and reached behind me, pulling my wrist in front of him. His sharp nails dug into my skin as he held my hand where he could see the phone screen.

“So close.” He grabbed the phone with his other hand and held it up to show that the screen was on Dean's contact information. One more button and I would have had some back-up. 

Finn dropped the phone as he doubled over, releasing my wrist and grabbing his head as he fell to his knees. Without thinking, I found myself kneeling on the ground beside him, reaching my bloody arm over his back. My other hand found a place on his wrist as I thought of an idea, but I wasn't sure if it would work or not.

When I had healed Finn before to keep Balor away, it was because Finn was using his strength to bring Balor back up from Shinsuke's magic, and he needed his strength to be replenished so that he could keep his control on Balor. Finn's body was still his own, so that meant that his will was winning the battle so far. He just needed help. I sent a silent prayer up into the sky that my plan worked this time around.

I felt Finn shaking under my arm, still fighting as hard as he could against Balor. I quickly envisioned a huge river that was my magic. I felt it flowing inside of me, ready to be unleashed when I needed it, but instead of sending it into Finn like I normally would have, I remembered my mom's advice. I blocked it off and pushed it against the dam, putting as much force behind it as I could. I felt the tingling sensation along my skin like I normally would, but it didn't get released. It almost felt like my hands had gone to sleep, the pin-like needling feeling almost making me uncomfortable as I pushed harder against myself.

Finn was trying to speak, but I couldn't make out what he was saying. The only word I heard was “run,” but I wasn't about to do that. I focused my attention on Finn's back as it moved up and down with each heavy breath, and I imagined my dam shattering into millions of tiny pieces as I pushed my magic as hard as I could against it.

My breath caught as the feeling of all of my magic leaving my body at once left me dizzy. The prickling sensation erupted through my hands, and the bright amethyst light exploded from my body and into Finn's, causing my necklace to shine in the bright light. I heard a rumbling growl come from Finn's throat before it slowly died down into his deep breaths. He suddenly fell to his side on the floor, slipping out of my grasp.

I steadied myself on my knees, waiting to see if I needed to make a dive for my phone to get Dean and Seth there, or if my plan had worked. The room grew quiet in the darkness, the lamp on the table glowing just enough for me to see that Finn's skin had gone back to its natural color. Through the silence I could hear cars passing by the house outside, as well as a very loud crow call coming from somewhere close by. I tried to block out all of the noise as I listened to Finn's breath even out.

“Aislin, love, I'm so sorry.” Finn's voice sounded weak, but it didn't hold any trace of Balor. 

Before I could tell him that he didn't need to apologize, though, he turned into mist and drifted through the drafty front window. I stood up and went straight to the front door, running outside into the night, but I couldn't see Finn anymore. The only things I could see were the neighbor's houses and the now empty highway in front of the house. Not even the loud crow appeared to be anywhere close by anymore.

My heart sank as I turned to go back into the house. As I reached for the doorknob, I realized that my wrist was still covered in blood and the gashes that Balor's claws had left. That meant that I had actually succeeded in focusing my magic the right way. 

I couldn't bring myself to celebrate that victory, though.

 

_**Finn** _

He silently cursed the demon in his mind for hurting Aislin. How could he let Balor get that much control over him? Balor had gotten enraged when he heard of Aislin's plan, and that anger only grew when Finn actually considered going through with it. 

Finn knew that Aleister said he would help them, but if Aleister's plan didn't work, Aislin's would. One way or another, Balor would die—even if Finn had to die with him—and the demon knew it. That was why Balor wanted to kill everyone who knew how to kill him.

Finn drifted until he felt Balor trying to take control through his magic, then he materialized on the ground and closed his eyes, concentrating on the strength that Aislin had given him through her own magic. 

_Go back. We need to kill them all. I know you want to live. You can't tell me that you would die just to get rid of me._

He blocked the demon's voice out of his head as he tried to force Balor into the little black box in the corner of his mind. He had managed to get Balor inside of the box, but he could never lock it up completely ever since Balor had transformed the second time. That was why Balor had been able to escape so often.

When Finn opened his eyes again, he found himself standing beside a creek. There was a concrete picnic table a few feet away, so Finn decided to go sit there so that he could clear his mind in the cold night air. He placed his head in his hands and took deep breaths as he closed his eyes once again.

The sound of the gurgling water passing over the slick rocks made Finn think of Aislin and how she had managed to heal him in one burst on her first try, just because of what her mother had told her to focus on. Maybe, he thought, she _would_ be able to kill Balor and bring only him back. She was strong, and the woman could do anything she set her mind to.

With that thought, Finn automatically felt guilt. He had let Balor hurt her again. The first time, Shinsuke had been there to stop him; but this time, no one came to help. If she hadn't been able to get Finn his control back, he knew that Balor would have killed her without a second thought.

“One more slip up like that, and we won't be able to wait another nine days. If you can't hold him off until the full moon, then I can't promise that my spell will work. She also hasn't been wearing that necklace long enough to even try to use it for what I need.”

Finn raised his head from his hands and looked up into Aleister's intense gaze. The magician's piercing green eyes were staring daggers into Finn's, and he looked angry. But what right did Aleister have to be angry, Finn thought to himself.

“You mean to tell me that the burst of magic she just used wasn't enough to fill that necklace up?” Finn asked him in disbelief.

“It would have been if it would have all went into the stone.” Aleister turned toward the creek as he continued talking. “She had it so focused on you that the necklace hardly absorbed any of that blast, which is surprising considering it's supposed to take her magic straight from the source. As soon as she started building the pressure, the necklace should have started taking it. But that's not where she wanted it to go.”

“Why can't you just have Kathleen put her magic into it. She obviously knew what it was, so why can't you just ask her to help?” Finn had been wondering about Kathleen's reaction to the necklace from earlier in the morning.

“Her magic has been in that necklace before, but it won't work now. Aislin's magic is the only one that will work with what I need. It's different from her mother's magic—stronger, and growing every day. If you can get her to use it more in the next few days, the stone will fill faster.”

“And what if it doesn't work anyway?” Finn asked him as he stood up to stand beside Aleister, both men facing the slow running water.

“I think you know what will happen if any of this plan fails.” His voice was very matter-of-fact, and Finn knew that if Aleister's spell didn't work, he would die. It seemed like that was the fallout of every plan that anyone had come up with. They would all certainly kill Balor, but there was a very real chance that each new plan would also kill Finn. He was okay with that, though. As long as Balor didn't hurt anyone else, he was fine with giving his own life for the cause.

“Why didn't you stop me? You could have helped her.” Finn knew he had heard the crow outside before he escaped from the house, but Aleister hadn't made a move to help Aislin.

“She didn't need my help. She wanted to practice her magic, so I let her.” Finn almost thought he heard a smile in Aleister's voice, but didn't turn to look until he spoke again. “There's something I can do for you for now, though.”

Aleister placed his hand just above Finn's chest, hovering an inch from the fabric of his t-shirt. He closed his eyes and took a deep breath before speaking one phrase. “Dul a chodladh.” 

Finn recognized the phrase as meaning “go to sleep,” in Irish, and he watched as Aleister's hand started glowing the color of the summer sky. The light blue hue faded as Aleister moved his hand farther away from Finn's chest, and Finn realized that he was suddenly alone in his body for the first time in what felt like forever. The lock on Balor's small box was finally latched, and Finn didn't feel the demon fighting to get out at all.

“You put him to sleep?” Finn asked, his eyes growing wide with the realization that Aleister could hold Balor off for him.

“I did. But it's only temporary. Five days, tops.”

“Why didn't you do this sooner?” If Aleister had been able to do that the whole time, Finn couldn't understand why he hadn't done it the first time they had met.

“If I'd have done it sooner, she wouldn't have been able to practice on you.” Another smile became visible on Aleister's face before it quickly vanished. “This is only a temporary fix. Doing this too many times can cause too much stress on your body.”

Finn felt his body, and realized that he still felt Balor's magic flowing through him. Just to see if he was right, Finn held his hand out in front of him and called the fire that Balor loved so much. His palm began to glow, and the flame burst forth from his hand like a torch, just like always. Not only was Balor locked away tight, but Finn could still use his powers as well. This must have been what would cause the stress on his body, Finn thought as he let the fire go out around his hand.

“Don't use too many of his tricks while he's locked away. It'll cause the spell to wear off faster, and it'll do harm to you,” Aleister said as he stepped back from Finn. “I'll be around, but you need to go back home. You know she's worried about you.”

Aleister was right, and Finn knew it. Even though he had just hurt Aislin, he was sure that she had already healed herself and was trying to think of where she could look for him. Finn watched as Aleister took flight in his crow's body, then he called the smoke.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay! I'm having to update from my phone right now because I won't be home all day. But I'm only posting one chapter tonight because of that.  
> The reason I'm posting on my phone is...  
> I'm in Knoxville, waiting to get in at Raw! Y'all watch for me! =D


	55. Chapter 55

_**Aislin** _

After I got back into the house, I cleaned up my wrist in the bathroom sink, my mind on auto-pilot the whole time. The five bright red gashes were a stark contrast to my pale skin, and I wrapped them up with a bandage from the first aid kit. I couldn't heal it because of the fact that I'd just used all of my magic on Finn and it hadn't built itself back up yet, but I knew I could take care of it as soon as I had a little magic back.

Once I was done tending to my injuries, I began pacing the living room floor, attempting to think of my next move. I was sure that Finn was in control when he left, so I needed to find him, I thought to myself as I slipped my shoes on. I pulled my coat over my arms and grabbed Finn's jacket from the back of the couch. I yanked my car keys off the hook beside the front door as I stepped out into the cold night air. I wasn't sure exactly where he would have went off to, but I needed to make sure he was okay. I headed for my car, calling Dean as I buckled myself in and started it.

“Awfully late for you to be calling just to chat.” Dean's sleepy voice rang in my ears, and I realized that it was already a little past midnight. “What's wrong?”

“I'm sorry for calling so late,” I said as I backed my Hyundai out of the driveway. “I just need to know if you've seen Finn in the last ten minutes or so.”

I heard Seth in the background on the other end of the phone, his tone worried. “What's wrong? Is he gone?”

“He's not with you?” Dean asked, suddenly sounding more awake.

“No. He slipped with his control and disappeared,” I explained, trying to decide exactly what I should tell them.

“What do you mean he slipped with his control? Are you okay?” Dean sounded worried, so I hurriedly tried to reassure him.

“I'm fine. He got upset and left, though. I need to make sure he's okay.” I stopped my car at a red light and breathed a long sigh as I turned the heater up. “I don't know where he would have gone.”

“Give me that,” I heard Seth mumble, and I pictured him taking the phone from Dean's hand. “We'll find him. If he's having problems controlling Balor right now, then he doesn't need to be out on his own anyway.”

“He might do something he regrets.” I added as the light turned green and I pulled away from it, out onto the main road.

“You need to go back home, though. Or come here,” Seth suggested, his voice softening slightly. “If you find him, and it's just you two, and he can't control Balor, I'm sure it won't end well.”

“He was in control when he left.” I jumped to Finn's defense, but in all honesty, Seth was right. I wasn't sure how long Finn would be able to win the war of wills, and I didn't know how well my magic worked on him. It may have only worked long enough for him to get out of the house.

“If he was in control when he left, then he may go back home after he clears his head,” Seth said, trying to convince me.

“You know she's going to look no matter what you say, so just give me that back.” I listened as Dean spoke to Seth, then his voice was back on the line. “We're leaving now to find him. If you find him first, let us know where you are before you say anything to him.”

“Thank you.” I breathed a sigh of relief before saying bye to them and hanging up the phone.

As I looked around at my surroundings, I realized that I had been driving toward Raw. I pulled into the parking lot, not sure about why I had subconsciously gone in that direction. I didn't think Finn would come here if he couldn't control himself, but I had a gut feeling that I needed to check.

I got out of the car, grabbing Finn's jacket before locking the door behind me. I looked around at the few street lights in the front illuminating the half a dozen cars left in the parking lot, and, without thinking about it, I started walking around the building to the back of the bar. I turned the corner and squinted into the night, past the one light in the middle of the lot. To my surprise, I found Finn standing at the edge of the parking lot, gazing into the darkness of the trees. I reached into my pocket and pulled out my phone, sending a quick text to Dean before I took another step.

“I found him at Raw. He's okay.”

After the text sent, I put my phone on silent and returned it to the back pocket of my jeans. I then started slowly walking toward Finn, but stopped myself a few feet away. I couldn't see his eyes, but the skin on his arms showed no signs of Balor. That didn't mean that he couldn't show himself at any minute, though.

“Finn,” I quietly called out to him, my breath hanging in the cold fog between us. “Are you okay?”

Without moving, he answered me. “I just tried to kill you, and you're asking me if _I'm_ okay.” He sounded bitter, but I was sure that was because of the situation we had been put in with Balor.

“ _You_ didn't try to kill me,” I reminded him as I took a small step toward him.

He sighed, his voice taking on a remorseful tone afterwards. “I know, but I was supposed to be able to keep Balor in check.”

I took another apprehensive step toward Finn. “Is he in check now?”

A shiver ran through my body as Finn turned to face me. His icy eyes instantly warmed when they landed on me. “He is.” He turned his gaze to my necklace before he spoke again. “All thanks to you.”

“It worked?” I asked him, amazed at the fact that my magic had actually worked to give him the strength he needed to hold off Balor.

His eyes met mine once more. “He's locked away tight right now, and I don't think he'll be bothering us for a while.”

“If he's not a problem right now, why are you out here alone?” I smiled at Finn as I closed the distance between us, holding his jacket out to him. He had always told me that the cold didn't bother him, but I knew the night wind had to at least be a little chilly, even for him.

“I just needed to clear my head.” He took the jacket from me, careful not to touch my hands, and shrugged it onto his broad shoulders. 

The first time Balor had hurt me in Finn's body, I had been shaken, to say the least. Finn had been careful not to make contact with me afterwards, and I realized he was doing the same thing this time. I wasn't afraid of him anymore, however, because I knew the difference between him and Balor.

I stepped closer to him and slid my arms around his waist. He tensed, but quickly relaxed as he tentatively wrapped his arms around me.

“What are you doing here, anyway? What made you think to come here?” he asked, almost sounding amazed at the fact that I'd found him.

I laid my cold cheek against his warm chest and breathed a sigh of relief, whispering against the soft fabric of his t-shirt. “I don't know. This is just where I ended up.”

In all honesty, I had probably gone to the bar without realizing it because it was the first place I had met Finn. It was also in that darkness that I had seen his striking red eyes for the first time, unaware of the fact that it was him. Something in the back of my mind must have known that no matter which version of Finn I was going to find, he would be at Raw.

“Is your wrist okay?” he asked as he rubbed my back in an attempt to keep me warm.

I raised my head and looked up into his worried eyes. “It'll be okay. Once I get my magic built back up, I can heal it.”

“You used your magic without healing yourself,” he pointed out, the hint of a smile on the corners of his lips. “Your mom's advice worked.”

“It did. But I don't think I'm strong enough to be trying that plan out anytime soon.” I spoke without thinking, and I quickly tensed up after mentioning the subject that had caused Balor to erupt earlier. Though I knew the difference between the demon and the man, I also knew that certain things would turn the switch on them. “Sorry.”

Any trace of the slight smile on Finn's face disappeared then as his arms slowly fell from my back. He took a small step away from me, letting the November breeze come between us. “Don't apologize.” His accented voice was quiet as he looked into my eyes. To my relief, his irises were still the color of arctic glaciers—no fire burning in them at all. “It was actually a good plan. I'd like to help you practice strengthening your magic. If you trust me to.”

I was shocked at Finn's suggestion, especially with as hard as it had been to keep Balor in control lately. “I trust you, but won't that upset him?” If just talking about my idea was enough to push Balor over the edge, then Finn helping me so that we could pull it off would probably infuriate the demon even more.

“I don't think Balor will be an issue for a while.” He sounded so sure of himself. 

Finn knew Balor better than anyone, though, and if he thought Balor wouldn't be a problem then I had to take his word for it. I needed the practice if this was going to work, and using Finn to do it would just make me more familiar with how he felt. It would probably be better in the long run if it were him who helped me after all. Plus, I thought it might actually help him keep Balor locked away if I kept healing him like I had earlier.

“How do you want to practice it?” I asked, unsure if he had any better ideas than I had.

“We can talk about it once your magic gets refilled. And while we're at home where it's warm. You're going to get sick out here in this cold.” He stepped up to me again and slowly took my hand.

I smiled at him as I gripped his hand in mine tightly. “I haven't been sick in ages. I think I'll be okay.”

Just then, the back door of Raw slammed open and a familiar face ran out. Along with a giant dog.

“Oh, we found them!” Dean harshly closed the door after he and Seth, who was in his hellhound form, came running through.

“Dean, what are you two doing out here?” I asked, torn between being confused and being amused at the fact that Seth had just run through the bar as a dog.

“You said you found him here, but we wanted to make sure everything was okay.” Dean pulled his coat tighter against him as he nodded over to Finn. “ _Is_ everything okay?”

I noticed Seth's mahogany eyes studying Finn, like he was making sure Finn was still in control.

Finn sighed before smiling and mumbling, “Of course you called them for backup.”

“I told you he was okay when I let you know I found him, Dean,” I said, then looked down at Seth. “Why were you transformed in the bar?”

Seth only barked as a reply, giving me a hard stare. I then remembered that everyone who had seen him in there before thought that he lived in Florida and was Roman's brother, so he didn't want them to see him again.

Before Seth could transform to explain himself, the back door once again swung open and Kurt stepped outside, looking around before his wide eyes finally fell on us. He looked stressed out, his mouth hanging open in disbelief when he saw Seth.

He jogged up to us, scolding Dean as he approached us. “Why did you bring your dog into a bar? And why was he running around like he was looking for something?” His eyes suddenly jumped to me then. “And what are you doing back here? What's going on?”

Dean started smiling in Kurt's direction as he reached his hand out to pet Seth's head, which came all the way up to Dean's hips. “Sethie here was supposed to stay in the car while we went in to have a drink, but he got excited and jumped out. So they came around back here to look for him, but then I realized he had run into the bar.”

I almost started laughing at “Sethie,” but controlled myself as I looked down into Seth's annoyed eyes. The glare he had focused in Dean's direction definitely didn't look like a happy dog. 

“I don't even know why you decided to bring Sethie,” I said, trying to keep Dean's story consistent to Kurt.

Dean stopped petting Seth, then turned to me. “Yeah, it probably wasn't the best idea.”

Finn finally spoke up then. “How about you take Sethie home and we'll get drinks together some other day.”

Kurt glanced up to Finn before returning his hard gaze to Dean. “That sounds like a good idea. Enzo is allergic to dogs, so we're lucky Sethie didn't bother him. Take him around the building, though. Not through it.” Kurt looked down to Seth then, a small smile playing at his lips. “It's not your fault, buddy. We just don't allow dogs in.” Kurt reached down to pet the top of Seth's head as he spoke, but as soon as he made contact, a low growl escaped Seth's throat. I noticed his irises flash for a split second as he moved them to look down to the ground, obviously annoyed. Kurt jerked his hand back to his side as his eyes grew wide at Seth's growl, hopefully missing his glowing eyes.

Dean apologized to Kurt for the disruption, then turned to walk around the building. “Come on, Sethie,” he said before clicking his tongue against the roof of his mouth.

Seth growled at him before following, turning to make sure that Finn and I were also behind them. Kurt disappeared into the back door of Raw as we rounded the corner of the building.

“If you pet me one more time, you're dead,” Seth growled after returning to his human body at the side of the building when we were alone. “Is he under control?” He turned to Finn then, eyeing him carefully. “Or do you need to stay somewhere else tonight?”

Finn steadied his gaze at Seth, speaking calmly. “He's locked away tight right now. Aislin made sure of that.”

Seth and Dean both looked down to me, and I had to explain how I healed Finn enough to let him take back control of himself.

“Sorry for bothering you two so late at night,” I said after I got done with my explanation. “I just wasn't sure what else to do.”

Dean moved to stand beside me on the opposite side of Finn, then draped his arm around my shoulder. “We're here to help you. That's what friends are for.”

Seth rolled his eyes at Dean with a smile, then turned back to Finn. “If you're sure Balor is gone for now, then we'll let you two go back home.” His face suddenly turned serious. “But if you have any suspicion that he may show himself again, come to our house and we'll help however we can. Just make sure you get away from her.”

Dean suddenly grabbed my hand that wasn't in Finn's, gently lifting it up to pull back my jacket sleeve and reveal the bandage around my wrist. “No more hurting her. Even by accident.”

I thought for a moment that Dean's actions would make Finn mad, but he took on a determined look instead, nodding in Dean's direction.

With that, Dean and Seth said goodbye before they disappeared into the air. Finn and I walked back around to my car, still hand-in-hand. He was silent the whole way home, obviously trapped in his own thoughts.


	56. Chapter 56

_“Might want to be careful around him, Ai.”_

_I looked up and realized I was sitting at the counter in Raw. The bar was empty and quiet, no music playing from the speakers and no one sitting at the tables. Roman was standing behind the counter, pouring a dark red drink into a tall glass before pushing it toward me. His rich brown eyes studied me as I gazed up at him, wondering what he could be talking about._

_“Be careful around who?” I asked as I put one hand around the glass and brought it to my nose, noticing that the drink had the same summer scent as Finn. The smell always made me think of a camp fire in the middle of a forest, the fire burning through whatever wood anyone was willing to feed it. I took a sip and shuddered as my mouth was bombarded with the smooth burn of the alcohol._

_Roman pointed a stare in my direction, but spoke softly. “Who else?”_

_“Finn?”_

_“More specifically, Balor,” Roman clarified as he grabbed himself a cold bottle of beer and came around to sit beside me on one of the stools._

_“He's locked up, Ro. It'll be okay,” I assured him with a small smile as I laid my hand on his muscular arm after he had gotten settled in his seat._

_He took a long drink from his bottle before releasing a sigh of satisfaction as the cold beer slid down his throat. “He's locked up for now. What happens when he's back out?” He kept his gaze straight ahead of him, not turning to look at me._

_“I'll help Finn lock him back up then.” I was certain I could do that, just like I had before. Finn had said that was all thanks to me._

_“Was it all thanks to you? Are you that strong?” Roman turned to me, his features appearing almost sympathetic as he seemed to read my thoughts._

_“That's what Finn said,” I responded as I let my hand slip from Roman's arm._

_Roman looked straight ahead again, taking another sip of his drink. “He hasn't found Aleister yet?”_

_“Not yet.”_

_“But he doesn't seem so upset about that anymore.” Roman took another sip from his bottle, his tone sounding like he was trying to get me to admit something. But I wasn't sure of what it might have been._

_“It's because he's trying to stay optimistic.” As soon as I spoke the words, I looked back down to my glass. I realized it was already half empty, but I didn't think I had drunk that much in the one sip I had taken._

_“Where'd he get that necklace from?”_

_I reached my hand up to hold onto the small moon as I answered him, moving my stare back to Roman, who was still facing forward. “He said he found it while he was looking for Aleister.”_

_“But he didn't say where.”_

_Even though it wasn't a question, I answered Roman anyway. “No, he didn't.” I looked back down to my glass as I let the pendant drop from my grasp. The drink was suddenly gone, leaving the glass empty._

_“And that wasn't strange to you?” Roman caught my attention as he moved to stand up beside me, a smile forming on his lips. “I guess it was, though, since you've got me here telling you so.”_

_“What do you mean?” I asked as I stood up with him, not ready for him to leave me in the bar alone just yet._

_I turned around as a different voice came from behind me. “This is all the things your subconscious has been wondering about. You just haven't made the conscious effort to think about it.”_

_Seth and Dean were walking into the bar with huge smiles on their faces. Seth had been the one to answer my question to Roman, and I felt a happiness well up inside me as I realized that now Seth and Dean would get the chance to see Roman again. I turned back around to face him, but realized that Roman was gone. My own smile fell as I turned back around to the other two hellhounds._

_Dean walked up and draped his arm around me, just as he had done at the bar after Balor had hurt me. “Maybe you need to hear this from some other people, too, Ai.”_

_Seth's face still held a smile as he stopped in front of me, but his voice sounded almost as though he were talking to a child. “Some things aren't adding up, and you're trying to ignore it.”_

_Dean's voice was in my ear then. “He was upset for weeks about not finding any sign of Aleister, but now he seems okay with it.”_

_Seth walked over to the bar, grabbing the glass bottle that Roman had left behind. “He gave you that necklace, but didn't want to tell you where he got it from.”_

_Dean led me back to the stool I had been sitting on before, urging me to sit back down as he stood beside Seth. “And suddenly, you have all the magic to help him hold off Balor, but you couldn't do that before without making a deal with the devil himself.”_

_“What are all of you trying to say?” I asked, my insides starting to twist into a ball of nervous energy._

_Roman's voice was suddenly behind me again. “What was he doing just standing outside that night before you went to your mom's house?”_

_Before I could turn to look at Roman, Dean spoke up. “And what was he looking at through the window at your mom's house when Balor started gaining control?”_

_Seth added to the questions. “And where did he go when he ran away from you tonight?”_

_Suddenly, I felt like the room had started spinning. The walls began to lose their color, fading to nothing but white. All three hellhounds disappeared as I turned around to search for them, finding nothing but emptiness._

_“Aislin, love. You can trust me.”_

_I quickly turned around to see Finn standing in front of me, his palm stretched out for me to take. I placed my hand in his as he pulled me to him, looking down into my eyes._

_“I know I can trust you,” I whispered as I slid my gaze to the side, unable to make eye contact. “But you have been acting strange lately.”_

_“But you know it'll be okay. You know I wouldn't do anything to hurt you.”_

But I might.

_The voice made me snap my eyes back to Finn. His irises started glowing crimson as his lips turned up into a sinister sneer, showing fangs that kept growing longer and sharper..._

 

I jumped from my sleep as I heard a loud, high pitched scream echo throughout the otherwise quiet room. I didn't realize until afterwards that the blood curdling shriek had come from my own throat. 

Finn was awake in an instant, standing with fire surrounding his tensed fingers. I looked at him and immediately started fumbling back on the bed, trying to get away from the flames. I knew he wouldn't use them on me, but just the sight of it had my already tangled up nerves intertwining even further.

When Finn realized that it was him I was trying to get away from, he doused the fire and took a few backward steps away from the bed, keeping his hands raised as if in surrender.

“Aislin, it's okay.” His sleepy Irish accent came out in a whisper as he started searching my face with his bright blue eyes for some explanation for my outburst.

I began to take deep breaths as I rested my head in the palm of my hands, being sure not to close my eyes. I was certain that closing my eyes would only bring visions of that confusing dream back to me, and the only part of it that I was okay with was getting to talk to Roman again. Although, what he had been saying almost made me nauseous.

Finn wouldn't hide anything from me. If he said that he had just been outside thinking, then that was what he was doing. If he said it was just a crow outside of the window at my mom's house, then I would believe that. He had gone to Raw after Balor attacked me, and I knew that because I found him there. However, I couldn't deny the fact that everything Roman, Dean, and Seth had been telling me in my dream had also crossed my mind.

I guess that made sense since it was my dream, I thought to myself as I finally raised my head to look at Finn, who was still standing across the room with his palms raised in front of him.

“Are you okay?” he asked, not making an attempt to come any closer to me. He was making sure that I was alright before he made another move.

“I think so,” I answered him, my voice coming out quieter than I had intended it to.

With my answer, Finn took a small step toward me. “Was it a nightmare?”

I sat up straighter on the bed, trying to shake the visions of the sharpening fangs from my mind. “It was.”

Finn chanced another step in my direction. “Do you want to talk about it?”

I felt bad about how careful he seemed to be acting, so I stood up out of the bed, glancing toward the clock on the bedside table. I was trying to act as normal as possible so that Finn wouldn't think anything was wrong. “No, it was just a bad dream. It's all okay.” I gave him the best smile that I could muster as I walked over to the closet to find my work uniform, not really wanting to talk about it with anyone, especially Finn.

It wasn't that I didn't want him to know about it, but I felt like he would get upset with the fact that I had been doubting his actions—even if it was only subconsciously. With as on-edge as he had been in the last few weeks, the last thing I wanted was for him to think that I was second guessing him.

He gave me a weary stare as he slowly came to sit back on the side of the bed, watching as I pulled the red polo-shirt and black jeans from the closet.

“You've still got an hour before you need to go to work,” he pointed out, almost seeming worried about my mental state.

“I need to take a shower first.” The nerves were beginning to settle in my body, and I could finally look at Finn for more than just a second without imagining him turning into Balor. I noticed that he looked genuinely shaken by my scream, and I started feeling guilty about waking him that way. “I'm sorry if I scared you.”

“You couldn't help it.” He turned a light smile in my direction. “You can't control your dreams.”

I turned my gaze away from his smile and wrapped my fingers around the necklace I still had on. Normally I didn't sleep with anything around my neck because it always felt like it was choking me, but something made me want to keep this necklace on when I had gone to bed the night before. Maybe that was why I had such a strange dream, I thought to myself as I let it fall back down to my chest.

“I'm going to get cleaned up, then we can eat some breakfast together before I have to go,” I told him before heading to the bathroom.

I tried to get out of the shower as quickly as I could. My mind always wandered while I was in the shower, but I didn't want to think too hard about anything. I was beginning to question if my dream was right and I just didn't want to think about all the things that seemed off about Finn's actions, but I shut the thought away, along with all the other ones about that dream. 

After washing myself off, I noticed that my wrist was trying to heal itself of the gashes Balor had left the night before. I felt for my magic, realizing that it wasn't completely filled back up yet, but I used what I needed anyway. I concentrated on the five red lines along my skin and felt the prickle of my magic as I watched them disappear.

Once I got out of the bathroom, I found Finn in the kitchen. He had two bowls of cereal set out on the table for us, along with a can of Pepsi in front of my bowl. I smiled at him and said thank you as I sat down at the table with him.

“You get off work at nine tonight, right?” Finn asked me as he watched me take a bite of the cereal.

“Yeah, unless something comes up.”

“Did you still want to try practicing your magic?” His question made me realize that I hadn't thought about his offer since he had made it the night before.

“If you still want to help me, then yes,” I answered, feeling a determination setting up inside me. 

My dream versions of Roman and Dean had both pointed out the fact that I didn't think I was actually strong enough to help Finn control Balor, but I knew that was just me doubting myself. I had been worried that I wouldn't be able to help Finn a second time, and that I wouldn't be strong enough to pull off the plan and bring him back to life. Practicing was probably exactly what I needed to fix those self-doubts.

However, one doubt still loomed in the back of my mind. “Are you sure that you'll stay in control while you're helping me, though?”

Normally, I was the first person to jump to Finn's defense in regards to controlling Balor, but I knew that this was different. The demon was gaining more and more power over Finn, and no one knew exactly how long he would be able to hide Balor away anymore.

Finn's features clouded before he quickly hid the darkness behind a steady gaze. “Absolutely. I told Dean and Seth that I wouldn't put you in harm's way again, and I meant it. If anything feels bad, I'll leave.”

I nodded to him as a response, not really sure of what to say. I didn't want to lie to him and tell him that I knew he would keep his control because Balor had been unpredictable lately. Even Finn couldn't be sure about keeping him locked away. I did know, however, that Finn wouldn't let Balor get to me again. That was something I could be sure of.

“Do you plan on looking for Aleister while I'm at work?” I asked, wanting to see his reaction to the question.

He turned his eyes down to his own food, stirring his spoon around the bowl absently. “Probably. I'm not sure where to look now, but hopefully I can figure something out.” After he spoke, he looked back up to me and gave me a half-hearted smile. 

He's still trying to stay positive, I thought as I took note of his mood. He seemed as though he didn't want to talk about how his search was going, but I told myself that it was because he didn't want to get depressed about the fact that he hadn't found Aleister yet.

After we finished eating, I left for work, keeping my mind busy with the thought of getting stronger and getting rid of Balor.


	57. Chapter 57

My shift seemed to fly by thanks to the busy state of the bar on Saturday nights. I only had time to take half of my lunch break, and the rest of my break was spent helping Dean keep up with the customer orders at the bar. I didn't mind the quick pace, though. It kept me from thinking about anything except what was happening in front of me.

When I saw Nikki come in, I was more than ready to hit the time clock and go home.

“Was he okay last night?” Dean asked me as he stood behind me at the time clock, waiting on me to move so that he could also clock out.

“He was.” I stepped aside after I put my card back in its slot, turning to face Dean so that I didn't have to yell over the blaring bar noise. “He was right when he said Balor was under control for now.”

“Do you think he'll be okay tonight, too?” Dean clocked out and grabbed his coat before walking with me to the front door.

“I think he'll be okay.” I paused, deciding to give Dean a heads up in case something went wrong later and I needed their help. “But he plans on helping me get my magic stronger when I get home. Balor may not like that.”

Dean looked down to me as we stepped outside, finally away from the loud music and people yelling. “How's he going to help?”

“He's going to let me heal him with all my magic. I think it's like a muscle. If I keep using it as much as I can, it's got to get stronger, right?” I curled my arm up as I started walking toward my car, mimicking what I thought a weight lifter would do.

Dean tilted his head like he was thinking about what I had said, following me through the parking lot. “It sounds right to me. And if you do that, he shouldn't have to worry about Balor, right? Since that's what you did to get him back in control last night.”

I actually hadn't thought about that, so Dean pointing it out made me feel a lot better about it. “That should be how it goes.”

“But if it's not,” Dean gently pulled me to a stop at my car, holding onto my upper arm as he turned me to face him, “get out of there. Put me or Seth on speed dial. Whatever you need to do to keep him from hurting you.”

I stared up into Dean's deep blue eyes, seeing his concern reflected in his gaze. Normally, he was the one jumping into things without thinking of the consequences, so the fact that he was trying to warn me showed that he was serious about it.

“I promise, if anything happens, I'll call.” I gave him a reassuring smile, not wanting him to worry too much about me.

Dean studied my face for a second longer before releasing my arm and taking a step back, his mercurial expression going back to the easy one that he normally wore. “Good.” 

I turned around and unlocked both of my front car doors, allowing Dean to get into the passenger side as I slid in behind the steering wheel and started the car. My stomach was starting to wind up again in excitement and nervousness as I thought about finally getting to practice my magic the right way, not just because it was a life or death situation.

“Let me and Seth know when you're done tonight. That way we know you're okay, alright?” Dean said as I pulled out of the parking lot and onto the main road.

“I promise, I will.”

Dean disappeared then, using his teleportation power to get himself home. He had told everyone that he rode to work with me because he didn't have a car, but he would always just teleport to work, then go home the same way after I pulled out of the parking lot. That way, he had said, I wouldn't actually waste gas to take him to and from work, and people wouldn't ask questions about where his car was. In reality, Dean just didn't like driving and preferred the speed of his demon transportation.

I spent the car ride home feeling out my magic, making sure that it had all come back after I had emptied it the night before. I felt it inside of me, and it actually seemed like there was more than what I had started with. I had been aware of the fact that it had gradually been growing ever since Balor was out of my body, but I had never noticed it grow as much as what it had since I had to use it on Finn to help him regain control. That was a good sign, I thought as I pulled into the driveway of the house Finn and I shared. It meant that using it was working to strengthen it.

I got out of the car and walked to the front door, realizing that the light was on in the front room and that the door was unlocked. I stepped in and found Finn coming through the hallway only wearing a pair of sweatpants, his hair wet as though he had just gotten out of the shower.

“Welcome home,” he said with a smile as he watched me close the door and take my shoes and jacket off.

“I could get used to coming home to that sight.” I laughed as I tossed my purse and jacket onto the love seat. Finn seemed to be in a better mood, and I was hoping there was a reason for that. “Did you find Aleister?”

His smile faltered for a split second as he turned away from me to sit down on the couch. “Not yet, but I think I'm getting close.”

“Oh yeah? Where do you think he is?” I asked him as I sat beside him.

“I actually have a feeling he'll be in Ireland in the next few days. Maybe next week.” His answer surprised me, but mostly because he hadn't had an exact location like that yet, if you could call the whole country an exact location.

I felt excitement stir up in me at the possibility of finding him. “What makes you think that he'll be in Ireland?”

His glance moved down to the floor as he answered me. “I've just heard some demons talking, and that's what the rumors are, apparently.”

“Do you know where at in Ireland yet? What city?” I asked as I stood up to go to the kitchen for a drink. “Maybe you can visit your brothers and sister while you're there looking.”

“I don't know where yet.” Finn stood up and followed me, his voice getting quieter. “And my family isn't there anymore. They've been gone for a few decades now.”

I stopped, keeping my head ducked inside the fridge as I mentally kicked myself over what I had just said. Of course his brothers and sister were gone. He had been possessed by Balor for a hundred years. Normal humans didn't live that long. 

I stood up and looked over to him, hoping that I hadn't completely ruined his evening. “I'm sorry. I didn't even think about it...”

“It's okay. They got to live out their lives how they were meant to. They were all four happy, even in their final days.” Finn's eyes seemed far away then as he stared to the window in the kitchen, and I wondered if he were remembering the days when they were younger. It didn't last long, though, because he quickly regained his focus, keeping his eyes trained on the night sky outside. “But that isn't what I need to be focused on right now. I may be close to finding Aleister, so that's where my mind needs to be.”

A thought came to mind after that, and I shut the fridge and turned back to Finn. “Does that mean that you don't want to help me since you may actually find Aleister after all?”

His smile returned as he met my eyes again. “Of course I want to help you. Even if we do find him, I'll still want to help you.”

I let out a breath I didn't realize I was holding after he answered. Even though Finn had a lead on Aleister, I still wanted to be stronger in case anything happened.

“We can start right now if you want.” Finn's smile faded and a serious expression took over his face.

“Hold on,” I told him before opening my can of Pepsi and taking a few gulps. “Okay, now I'm ready.”

He let a light laugh escape his lips before he turned and walked back into the living room, sitting down on the couch once again. I followed and sat down beside him after I placed my soda on the coffee table.

“How are we going to do this?” I asked as I turned to face him. The nerves in my stomach were once again building up.

“You could just empty all of your magic into me, but then we won't know if all of it went where it was directed.” Finn's gaze was all business then as he thought about what we would need to do.

“I need to be hurt so that we know it isn't spreading everywhere,” I told him. I had figured that would be the case, so I was prepared for it.

“And you need physical evidence that it's actually healing me.” With his words, Finn looked down to his fingers. Suddenly, the nails on his right hand started growing into black claws, sharp enough to pierce flesh.

I flinched back without realizing it, the memory from the night before coming back to me. The last time I had seen Finn with claws, he had hurt me with them. But that was exactly what he needed to do this time as well.

Finn looked into my face but didn't return his fingernails to their normal length. He could obviously sense my unease as I tried to get my composure back, so he stopped his movements, giving me a moment to settle my nerves.

“Are you okay?” he asked, remaining motionless as he watched me take deep breaths.

I sat up straight and looked away from his fingers to stare into his still crystalline eyes, that sight alone helping to calm me. “I'm okay. It's still you.”

He nodded at me and echoed my words in a whispered voice. “It's still me.”

From there, Finn seemed to act in slow-motion. His movements were calculated as he almost hesitantly reached for my arm with his left hand, the one that wasn't decorated with the daunting claws. I let him take my arm and watched as he gently moved it in front of him, turning it palm up. His eyes came up to meet mine then, almost seeming to silently ask if I was ready. 

I took one more deep breath before he slid the tip of his clawed index finger from the crook of my elbow halfway down my inner forearm. The stinging sensation made me want to wince in pain, but I controlled the urge, focusing instead on how warm Finn's fingers felt against my skin. Blood welled up on top of the cut, and I felt my magic start to gather at the sight of the incision. I quickly blocked it off, focusing on keeping it all shut away from doing its job.

Without removing his soft grip from my arm, Finn made a similar cut on his own left arm, but he ran his finger down the complete length of his forearm instead of just half way like he had done with mine. His blood came fast and my eyes widened as I realized just how much more pressure he had used on himself than he did with me. He had cut through his skin and into his own muscle, and I almost wondered if I would be able to see his bone through the blood.

He must have noticed my worry, because he was suddenly reassuring me. “We need to know that it isn't just strong enough to heal a small cut. You're wanting to bring me back from the dead, not heal a discomfort.”

I looked away from his cut and into his shining eyes once again. He showed no signs of pain in his expression, but the blood continued to flow from his arm and onto his sweatpants.

“Okay,” he started as he tried to give me a calm smile, “let's see if you can heal it.”

Without answering him, I closed my eyes. I imagined my river of magic pressing against the tall dam I had built in my mind. I forced it to flow harder against the wall, until I could almost see the glittering purple waves crashing against the grey concrete wall. I took note of the fact that I had to make the dam a little taller, thanks to the magic growing inside of me.

When I opened my eyes, I released my magic, trying to focus it all on Finn's deep, self-inflicted injury. My head started spinning as I emptied every ounce of magic that I had into Finn, but I managed to keep an upright position to finish what I had started.

The glow that surrounded us was almost blinding as my magic rushed into him, but was gone almost as soon as it had appeared. Once again, I noticed that the matching color of the necklace I was wearing almost made it appear to shine in the light of my magic, but I couldn't focus on it at that moment. As soon as the light was completely gone, I leaned my shoulder against the back of the couch, hoping that it would keep me from falling into the floor.

Finn took a deep breath and looked down to his arm after the gleaming light had faded. His cut was completely gone, only leaving behind a trail of blood that had already stained his skin. I shifted my eyes from his arm to mine, which was still in his gentle grasp, but noticed that my cut was also closed. It hadn't been completely healed, but it had closed enough to form a bright red line instead of an openly bleeding gash.

I closed my eyes and let my head fall over onto the back of the couch. I felt defeated after seeing that it hadn't worked. The night before, I had been able to focus my magic where I needed it to go, so I wasn't sure what could have changed since then.

“There was more that time.” Finn's whispered words made me open my eyes to look over at him. He was still holding onto my arm, turning it from side to side so that he could get a better view of the scar that was left there.

“More magic?” I asked, my voice unexpectedly sounding weaker than I thought it would.

“Yes. Are you okay?” His eyes came up to meet mine then, and he wrapped his blood-free arm around my shoulders, letting me tilt over to rest my head on his chest instead of the couch.

I closed my eyes again, trying to get my head to stop spinning. “I'll be fine,” I tried to assure him. “And there _was_ more magic that time. I noticed that it had grown some since I used it all last night.”

“That's probably why it was harder to control then,” Finn guessed as he rubbed gentle circles on my back.

His explanation made sense, even in my tired mind. “That was more magic than what I'm used to controlling. So I need to learn to control it, too.” I smiled against his chest as I slowly raised my head to look at him, the vertigo finally easing off.

“Last night was also life or death,” Finn pointed out, keeping his arm around me.

My smile faded as I looked down to our blood covered arms. “It was. But life or death is why I'm trying to get the hang of this.”

“If it keeps growing every time you use it, then you'll always have to adjust to that and focus that much harder each time,” Finn said, his voice quiet.

“Or,” I started, returning my gaze to his face as determination set in, “I'll just have to keep doing this until it can't grow anymore. That way I'll know what I'm working with at all times. I have to get it as strong as it can be, then there won't be that variable of it being harder to control.”

Finn's eyes lit up in a smile as he helped me to stand up, both of us walking toward the bathroom to wash the blood from our arms. 

I would get it as strong as I could, I thought to myself. I had to if I wanted to master it and be able to control all of it. This had to work, because it would be certain death for Finn if it didn't.


	58. Chapter 58

A week went by like that, with Finn helping me every night right before we went to bed. He had pointed out that if I had emptied my magic during the day, then I wouldn't have it if I needed it. The light-headed feeling that I always got afterwards would have also made it hard to go to work, so doing it before we went to sleep made the most sense. I would always heal what was left of my wounds the next morning with what magic had come back to me by then.

My magic was still growing stronger with each passing day, as well. I was happy for that, but it made me impatient. Every day that it grew was another day that I would have to figure out how to handle the greater amount of magic. I kept finding myself hoping that it would get twice as strong in one night and not grow anymore, but I would always stop that thought. The fact that I was getting stronger was a good thing, even if it did mean more practice and more days that would pass with the looming threat of Balor.

“Ai, get your head out of the clouds,” Dean said from behind me as he walked over, his voice barely audible over the loud Saturday night crowd of the bar.

I looked down and realized that a tray of food was sitting in front of me on the counter, ready to be taken to the waiting customers. I shook my head, trying to get my thoughts back to where they needed to be.

“Sorry, I was just thinking,” I told him as I grabbed the tray and turned to smile at him.

“Must be important if it's got you that distracted,” he lightheartedly joked with me as he stepped out of my way.

I walked past him and took the food to a younger couple in the middle of my section of tables, but as I sat their plates down, a new face caught my attention.

In the back of the room, at the farthest table from the bar, was a man sitting by himself. His dark grey suit seemed out of place at Raw, but that wasn't the only thing I noticed about him. I could see his hands as he held up the menu in front of his face, and both of them were covered in tattoos. On his right hand was what appeared to be a white tiger with red eyes, its fangs barred like it was growling. The word “anti” was tattooed on his knuckles there, a letter for each finger. On his left hand was an older woman who was smiling. On those knuckles was the word “hero.”

When he lowered the menu, I realized that his neck was covered in tattoos, as well, but I couldn't get a good view of them because of his light brown beard covering most of them, along with his long, slicked back mohawk covering more on the sides of his neck. However, I could make out the tiny crescent moon under his left eye, and the sight reminded me of the necklace that I hadn't taken off since Finn had given it to me.

I felt myself reaching for the pendant without actually meaning to, but as it touched my hand, the man turned his piercing green eyes to me. I stopped my movements, almost feeling paralyzed by his gaze, but not understanding why. Less than a second later, a small, barely visible smile broke on his face. I snapped out of whatever feeling had me frozen in my spot then, remembering that I had a job to do.

As I walked up to the table, I looked back to Dean. I realized he was standing beside the kitchen door, talking to someone on his phone quietly. His free hand was swinging like he was excitedly telling a story to whoever was on the other line, but I didn't have time to go ask him what his call was about.

“Hello,” I said to the man as I approached his table. “My name is Aislin and I'll be your waitress for tonight. What can I get for you?” I tried to keep my normal, customer friendly smile on my face as I spoke to him, but there was something unsettling about the way he was watching me.

He was silent for a moment as he just stared at me, the hint of a smile still on his lips. His eyes wandered down to where my necklace usually laid between my collar bones, but quickly came back to my face before he spoke. “I'll just have a water for now. I've not decided on any food yet.”

“Okay. When you decide, just let me know. I'll be right back with your water.” I turned to walk back toward the bar then, grabbing the man a glass of water and carefully turning to take it back to him.

As I approached the table once more, I took another look back at Dean. My heartbeat sped up when I realized that Seth was walking into the bar, in his human form, striding with a purpose straight for Dean. Seth's expression didn't look thrilled, and it made me nervous. 

I sat the man's water down and asked him if he knew what he wanted to order yet, but he only shook his head no before saying thank you for the water. I turned to walk away and realized that Finn was standing at the bar with Dean and Seth then, all three of them speaking in hushed voices. Their expressions were tense, and I felt a paranoid feeling because of that. I threw my guards up as I walked toward the men.

I kept myself from running to them, wondering what had caused Dean to feel the need to call for backup. The man I had been serving wasn't familiar, and he had given me an odd feeling, so it must have been him that set off Dean's warning alarm, I thought to myself as I approached them at a normal pace.

“...He won't hurt her, but I don't know why he's here.” I heard Finn say as I came up behind him.

“Okay, who is that and why did you call in reinforcements, Dean?” I harshly whispered as I joined them around the end of the bar.

“That's the guy—” Dean started to answer me then, but was cut off.

“It's okay. He's no one. I think Dean is just a little confused.” Finn eyed Dean before turning his smile to me, making me immediately suspicious of the whole situation.

“What are you not telling me? Is that guy someone who wants to kill you?” I asked, suddenly feeling like I was being left out of some big development. 

“No, it isn't. I promise, everything is fine.” When Finn saw my unbelieving stare, he looked to Seth. “Tell her, Seth. No one wants to kill me. Right now anyway.”

Seth turned his eyes to me then, almost hesitantly, before backing up Finn. “He's telling the truth. Dean thought that was one of the other hellhounds we've been looking for, but wasn't sure what he was doing here.”

“Right,” Dean interrupted, “I didn't know if he was going to start attacking or what.”

“But it's not,” Seth assured me. “He's just a normal guy, as far as we can tell.”

Suddenly, Enzo was yelling behind Dean. “Back-up has arrived!”

I sighed before relenting to their story, deciding that it made sense. “I have to go do my last rounds before Nikki gets here. But please, let me know if anything is going on.”

Finn nodded his head as his smile returned. “I'll meet you outside when she gets here.”

I watched as Seth and Finn walked out the front door. I looked around, wondering if Kurt had noticed Seth come in, but he was nowhere in sight, thankfully. I kept my eyes on Dean then, as he followed close behind the other two after he clocked out and grabbed his jacket.

I turned to the table that the mysterious man had been sitting at so that I could see if he'd made up his mind about food yet, but I realized that he was already gone. I walked over and took the water off the table, finding a generous tip hidden under the glass. I pocketed the money before taking the empty glass to the kitchen dishwasher.

As I cleaned off the other empty tables, I tried to etch the mystery man's face into my memory in case I needed to watch out for him later. While thinking about the small crescent moon under his eye, I found myself reaching for my necklace once again, only to realize that it wasn't there. Panic started building in my mind as I started searching the bar for it, hoping that it had fallen off and no one picked it up to keep as their own.

 

**_Finn_ **

Finn walked outside with Seth, both of the men standing silently in the cold air. Seth was staring at the door of the bar, probably waiting on Dean to come out before demanding an explanation from Finn. If he wanted to keep all of this from Aislin, then he needed to tell the hellhounds what was going on. He knew that he needed to tell them his side of the story before she convinced them to help her figure out who that was. The fact that Dean knew exactly who Aleister was meant that all she had to do was ask him, and Finn was sure he would tell her.

After a few seconds, Dean exited the bar, heading straight for Finn and Seth.

When he approached them, he threw both of his hands in the air, speaking loudly. “Why didn't you tell her that was Aleister?”

Seth made a “shh” noise at Dean as he held his hand up in front of his pack-mate. “More importantly, why didn't you go talk to him?” he asked as he turned a confused glance in Finn's direction.

Dean lowered his voice, but his excitement was still there. “Yeah, you've been looking for him for a couple of months now, and he's all of a sudden here, and you ignore him. Why?”

They waited on an answer, but Finn remained quiet, trying to decide if he needed to tell them everything, or if he could omit certain parts. 

“What's going on?” Seth asked as he crossed his arms over his chest and gave Finn a hard stare.

Finn took a deep breath before casting his eyes to the ground between them. “I was asked not to tell anyone that I had gotten in contact with him.”

“When?” Seth's stare seemed bewildered, but Finn couldn't decide if he looked angry or not.

Finn also wasn't sure why he needed to care about how the hellhounds felt about what he needed to do, but quickly realized that it was because he had grown to like them. They were always there to help Aislin, and he could never thank them enough for that. He thought that they deserved to know what had been going on since there was a chance that they would agree with him and Aleister on keeping Aislin out of it.

“The night before we left for Kathleen's house for Thanksgiving, Aleister showed up at the house before Aislin got off work. He doesn't want Aislin to know that I've found him.” Finn moved his eyes up, looking between Seth and Dean as he explained. “He didn't want either of you to know that I had found him, either, because he thought that you two would tell her. I'm not sure why he would show up now, though.”

“You know Aislin is going to be pissed off when she finds out, right?” Dean ran his hand through his tangled hair, seeming as though he were thinking things over. “That seems awfully fishy to me.”

Seth's gaze softened the slightest bit. “Is he going to help you?”

“He said he would,” Finn answered.

Dean started moving then, pacing around in a small circle as he spoke. “What's his plan.”

When Finn didn't immediately answer, Seth got his attention. “We've been through too much shit with you for you to go and push us away now. What's going on?”

Finn watched as Dean stopped his movements and both hellhounds eyed him. He had no choice but to tell them. “He thinks he can cast a spell that will kill Balor and leave me alive. He wants me to meet him in Ireland tomorrow night because of the full moon. He says that will help strengthen his magic so that the spell has a better chance of working.”

Dean looked confused as he tilted his head to the side. “What's so secretive about that?”

Seth added to Dean's question. “What does this spell involve?”

Finn fixed his gaze on Seth before answering. “It involves getting the blood of Caoránach.”

Both hellhounds took on expressions of absolute horror, looking at Finn like he'd gone insane.

“How can you even do that?” Seth asked, his tone going up an octave.

Dean once again threw his hands in the air. “She's been trapped in a lake longer than Balor's been jumping bodies.”

“Aleister says he can get her out. He said he's getting one more person to help us, and that would be all we would need,” Finn answered them, keeping his composure. He knew the idea sounded crazy to anyone who knew about Caoránach, but he still needed to try. “You two will have to stay here with Aislin. He doesn't want her getting involved. It'll obviously be dangerous.”

Seth's features straightened out before his brows furrowed together, confusion evident on his face. “Not that I don't agree, but why does he care? Why was he there at The Undertaker's? What's his attachment to Aislin?”

Dean started tapping his finger against his chin as he stared up into the night sky. “There's something more going on here.”

“I've not asked about his concern for her safety,” Finn answered quickly.

Seth eyed him, knowing that there was more to it than that. “But you have an idea for why he wants to keep her safe.”

It wasn't a question, so Finn didn't feel the need to respond.

Dean's eyes suddenly went wide as they came back down to land on Seth. “Brother, he smells like her.”

The confusion on Seth's face grew deeper as he stared at Dean, wanting him to go on with his theory.

“I told you, his blood smells just like her. With a hint of odd magic and age.” Dean's answer caused Seth's face to light up with realization.

“Does she know?” Seth asked, turning to Finn.

Finn was still looking between the two hounds, his voice suddenly dropping in volume. “She knows nothing, and he wants to keep it that way.”

“What about Kathleen?” Dean asked.

“She shut me down when I tried to mention it,” Finn admitted as he turned his gaze back toward the door of Raw, making sure Aislin hadn't come out yet.

“So that's it then. That's why he's helping her,” Seth said on a sigh.

Finn returned his gaze to Seth and Dean before whispering. “If we're right, he just wants to keep his daughter safe.”


	59. Chapter 59

_**Aleister** _

Now that he had the amethyst stone back, Aleister could finally gain the extra help he knew Finn would need if things got out of hand with Caoránach. He hadn't intended on being seen by Aislin at the bar at first, but something inside of him felt the need to selfishly interact with her. He'd never held a conversation with the girl in her life, so going only to retrieve the necklace felt like a wasted opportunity. One conversation and one time-stopping spell later, and he felt satisfied with his visit.

He placed the stone into the miniature urn with the dirt he had gathered before, also easily sitting the ruby colored orb into the container before gently closing the lid. Carefully, he sat the urn onto a wide, grey stone pillar that was surrounded by six burning, black candles. Moonlight shone through a hole in the stone ceiling of the old castle, illuminating the golden metal of the urn. 

By the time the full moon was at it's highest point in the sky the next night, their help would be ready.

 

**_Aislin_ **

I stood in the shower, the warm water pouring over me as I thought about what had happened the night before.

I had apologized to Finn over and over when I couldn't find my necklace. Always with a smile, he had told me each time that it was no big deal—insisting that he would try to find another one just like it—but I had felt so guilty about losing the first piece of jewelry Finn had given me. No one had turned it into Kurt or any of the other employees, and no one had noticed exactly when it had gone missing. The last time I remembered it being there was when I had reached for it while looking at the unknown man's tattoo.

That brought me back to the other thought plaguing my mind. I wasn't sure who that was, but it was obvious that Dean felt threatened when he saw him. I wasn't sure if their story about the man possibly being a hellhound was the truth. If that were the case, Dean shouldn't have felt the need to call Finn after calling Seth. 

I stepped out of the bathroom after getting dressed and drying my hair, thankful that I had the night off of work. It was already four-thirty, and Finn and I had spent the day together enjoying each other's company. We had planned on going to one of the local diners for dinner after we were both ready, hoping for a quiet, peaceful afternoon. 

As I walked into the living room, I found Finn sitting on the couch, already dressed in a black t-shirt and jeans, ready to leave. With an almost concerned stare, he was looking over to my phone that was lying on the coffee table.

Finn turned his gaze up to me as I stepped into the room. “You're mom has tried to call you three times in the last two minutes,” he informed me, explaining his look.

“Did you answer it?” I asked, trying to figure out what would be so important. There was a feeling of dread growing in my stomach at the thoughts of what it might have been.

“I didn't think it was my place,” he replied quietly as he leaned up and placed his elbows on his knees.

I reached over and grabbed my phone as I sat down beside Finn, but before I had the chance to listen to any of the voicemails Mom had left me, the phone started buzzing in my hand. She was trying to call again.

“Is everything okay?” I asked as I put the phone up to my ear. My dread only grew when I heard a sobbing voice coming from the other end of the line. I couldn't make out what she was saying, but I knew it was my mom's voice. “Calm down. What's wrong?” I tried to understand what she was attempting to tell me, but she suddenly grew quiet.

I heard her take a deep, shaky breath before finally making a cohesive sentence. “I need you here now. It's Dad.” My heart sank and my body almost seemed paralyzed as I realized what she must have meant. “He needs your help.”

“What happened?” I hadn't noticed that I had started crying until I tried to speak and heard my own voice quivering. Everything around me seemed to fade away as I listened for her response.

She answered around short gasps. “We just got home from the store. People were in the house taking things. He's been shot.”

I immediately jerked my eyes in Finn's direction, but he was one step ahead of me. He had heard the conversation, and had already stood up in front of me, holding his arms out to me.

“I'll be right there. Three minutes,” I told her, but noticed Finn hold up only one finger. “One minute.”

I jumped up to my feet, my heart pounding as though it would burst through my chest, and Finn immediately wrapped his arms around me. I dropped my phone onto the couch without even taking the time to hang up as I squeezed my arms around Finn's waist and held onto him, feeling my body get lighter as smoke surrounded us. I buried my face in his shirt and closed my eyes to fight the nausea, also focusing on my magic so that I could have it ready as soon as we got to my parents' house. The trip didn't last long before I felt my body start to get heavy again.

I opened my eyes to find myself standing in my parents' living room. Dad was lying on the floor on his back, his eyes tightly closed as low, agonized groans came from his throat. Mom was holding both of her hands over his right shoulder, but I could see that it was covered in blood. She turned her swollen eyes toward me as Finn and I materialized in the room, the desperation evident in her stare. I didn't have time to focus on the ransacked state of the house, instead keeping my concentration on the magic inside of me.

Without another word, I quickly knelt beside Dad, pushing Mom's blood covered hands out of the way before replacing them with my own hands on his injured shoulder. She quickly jerked her hands away from his skin, probably so that she wouldn't inadvertently steal my magic before I could heal Dad. 

I released my magic as soon as I made contact, not caring that I probably didn't need to use all of it to heal him. Adrenaline was guiding my actions, and I wanted to make sure that he was going to survive. I was not leaving anything to chance.

As soon as the light purple glow faded, I moved my palms to inspect the wound. I heaved a sigh of relief when I saw that the bullet hole was gone, leaving only Dad's unscathed skin underneath his ripped shirt. With the release of my sigh, however, I suddenly became even more dizzy than I had been during the trip there. I felt myself falling backwards, away from him. 

Luckily, Finn was behind me, and he caught me before I landed on the floor, letting me lean my back against his sturdy chest as he wrapped his arms around me to hold me up. I forced myself to keep my eyes open, watching as Dad's eyelids slid up to reveal his dark brown eyes. Amazement crossed his features before he sat up, taking unsure breaths while placing his own hand over his blood soaked shirt.

His bewildered gaze slowly traveled from his hand to Mom, then over to me.

“What just happened?” Dad asked as he shifted his eyes back to his shoulder.

“Aislin saved you,” Mom answered him, a smile forming on her trembling lips.

“How?” he questioned after moving his stare back over to me.

I thought it seemed silly that he didn't realize what had happened, but I was having a hard time focusing on his reaction through the fog in my mind.

“I need to tell you some things.” Mom's voice had gone quiet as she placed her hand over Dad's on his shoulder.

I tried to sit up then, but my head started spinning with the motion, so I settled for staying leaned against Finn as I spoke. “Mom, why didn't you heal him? It would have been faster, and you're probably better at it.”

The grateful smile was still on her face as she answered me, more tears falling from her eyes. “I can't use my magic anymore. I haven't been able to for quite some time.”

I gave her a confused stare, but my dad's confusion had mine beat. At least I knew what magic she was talking about, but Dad didn't seem to have a clue.

“What magic?” Dad's question commanded her attention. “What is going on? What happened to the robbers?”

“They ran away. But someone is already on their trail, and they'll get what they deserve.” The smile Mom had been wearing suddenly faded, and I was wondering if maybe Aleister had something to do with serving them justice, since he seemed to be a friend of Mom's.

“Dad,” I said as I once again tried to sit up, successful this time. “Do you not know about our magic?”

“He doesn't, Aislin.” Mom's admission left me with more questions than answers. She had said that they were both the ones who decided to steal my magic if it were ever awakened so that I would live a normal life. How could he not know about it if he helped decide that, I wondered to myself.

Almost as though she could hear the thoughts in my mind, Mom answered my inner question. “It was all my idea to siphon your magic, and that's why I don't have mine anymore.”

I watched as Dad carefully stood up and walked over to the couch so that he could sit there instead of on the floor. Finn helped me to my feet, but I stayed standing beside him, his arm wrapped tightly around my waist to help hold me steady. Mom followed Dad to the couch, sitting down to face him as she stared him in the eyes.

“Like I said,” she started, “I need to tell you some things.” She turned her gaze to me then as she flashed an almost resigned smile in my direction. “But first, you should probably tell Aislin thank you.” 

Dad looked at me again, but it was almost like he was seeing me for the first time. He studied my face before finally blinking his eyes a few times. “Aislin, thank you. I don't know what's going on, or how you two got here so quickly, but I do know that you saved my life.”

I couldn't help myself as I stumbled over to him so that I could give him a hug. I wrapped my arms around his neck as I fell onto the couch beside him, realizing just how close I'd come to losing my dad. “I'm just glad I could help.”

“Let me get you something to eat before we start into this,” Mom said to me as she stood up and walked toward the kitchen, coming back with a couple of cookies and a can of Pepsi. “Sugar actually helps that depleted feeling.”

I took the cookies from her and ate them both quicker than I probably should have, then gulped down half of the soda so fast that it made my throat burn. She was right, however. Once I had the sugar inside me, my head started clearing. That may explain my love for Pepsi, I mused to myself as I waited for Mom to begin explaining what had happened to Dad.

“Aislin, why don't you go on home and get some rest?” I realized that Mom was politely hinting that she wanted to have this conversation with Dad in private, but I turned to him first.

“Do you feel like you're going to be okay?” I asked him, eyeing his shoulder one more time.

He moved his arm slowly, but didn't wince or act as if it were hurting him at all. “I'm going to be fine. I actually feel better now than I did before I was shot.” He chuckled before repeating himself. “I was shot... and here I am, feeling fine.”

I smiled at him, satisfied with his answer. “I'll always be more than happy to help if anything happens. Especially if it's my parents.” I looked up to Finn then, who was still standing beside the couch. “I just wish I could fix motion sickness.”

Finn almost laughed at me, but stopped himself. “It'll be quick, I promise.”

I gave both of my parents one more hug before we said our goodbyes. Afterwards, I held onto Finn once more as his thick fog started engulfing us. I watched Dad's eyes go wide before I had to shut my own eyes to fight the dizziness off. I was expecting that, though. What I wasn't expecting, however, was Balor's voice.

_While I can speak to you, I need to let you in on a little secret._

I heard Finn growl before it felt as though we were speeding up, almost like Finn wanted to get home before Balor said anything else.

_He doesn't want you to know, but he's already found Aleister._


	60. Chapter 60

We became solid once more in the living room of our house, but I immediately stepped away from Finn as soon as I felt like I could stand on my own two feet.

“What was he talking about?” I asked, my voice louder than I had intended it to be as I swayed forward, somehow managing to stay in an upright position by myself. “You've already found Aleister?”

Finn took a step toward me, holding out his hands to catch me if I started falling again. “Aislin, can we talk about this when you have your strength back?” he pleaded, keeping a calm demeanor.

All of the emotions about feeling left out started to come back to me. He _was_ hiding something from me. I knew it all along, but I didn't want to admit it to myself. I just didn't think this would be what he had been hiding. However, it explained his behavior whenever he was asked how his search for Aleister was going. He didn't seem as anxious about it anymore because he had already found the magician.

“So you've been lying to me about not finding Aleister this whole time?” I questioned him as I felt the backs of my legs hit the couch. I decided that I probably needed to sit down, so I eased myself onto the cushion.

Finn stayed standing in front of me, his gaze sweeping the floor between us. “No, not lying... just not telling you the whole truth.”

“That's not any better!” My head started spinning again as my emotions got the better of me, finally exploding from my body. “This whole time, I've been worried that you're not going to be able to find him and that I'll kill you and not be able to bring you back! Or that Balor will kill me and you'll never be able to get your body back!” Tears threatened to fall from my eyes as the image of Balor's transformed body flashed through my mind, his red eyes gleaming at the thought of control.

“I'm sorry,” he whispered as he looked back up to me, his expression almost seeming pained. “But Aleister is the one who wanted to keep you in the dark here.”

“Why? And why did you listen to him? I thought we were doing this together. Why does he get that decision?” I wasn't sure what Aleister might have had against the idea of me helping, but it upset me even further.

“Aleister didn't want you to get in the middle and possibly get hurt.” Finn paused before taking a deep breath to continue. “And I had to agree.” 

“If he had come himself and told me that, then I wouldn't have gotten involved.” Finn gave me a pointed stare, so I went on. “With something like this, something that I know I can't help you with, I would have stayed out of it. I know I can't help with black magic. But I would still have liked to know what was going on.”

“We were trying to keep you safe.” Finn tried to reason with me, but I didn't want to hear it.

“Why does he care if I stay safe? I've never even met him!” I stopped, my mind coming to a halting realization. “Was he... that guy at the bar? Last night, when Dean called you and Seth both to come? Right before I lost my necklace...” I trailed off, remembering his face and the way he had looked at me, almost as if he were trying to memorize what I looked like, just as I had been trying to keep his face in my memory. 

When Finn remained quiet, I answered my own question. “He was. Where did you get that necklace?” It couldn't have been a coincidence that the night I had seen Aleister for the first time was the same night I had lost that necklace, I thought.

Finn came to sit beside me, but I felt myself lean away from him before he responded. “He gave it to me for you. It took a small amount of your magic so that he could use it.”

I felt as though my blood had started boiling then. “So now, not only were you lying to me about finding Aleister, but you were _stealing_ my magic? Without letting me know?”

As I stared into Finn's gaze, I noticed his irises quickly flash with the blood red gleam before he turned his head to look away from me, taking deep breaths as he closed his eyes. A tremor of true fear ran through my body at the sight. I had never been afraid of Finn before. I had been startled the first time I had seen the red eyes on his face in my old apartment, but it wasn't actual fear. I was in no condition to try to fix Finn at this point since I had used all of my magic on my dad, and the realization that I was completely helpless if Finn couldn't control the demon only fueled my anger.

“Isn't he locked away? I've been giving you my magic every night for a week. Shouldn't he be—” I stopped, a sudden thought hitting me like a smack in the face. What the hellhounds in my dream had said about me not being strong enough to block Balor out for Finn came back to me. “I didn't completely shut him out last time, did I?”

“You got him under control long enough—“

I cut him off. “But I'm not the one who made him completely disappear for so long.”

“No.” Finn finally looked back up to me as he whispered the word, his eyes back to the bright blue color that didn't scare me.

“That was Aleister.” It wasn't a question, but Finn nodded in response. “More lies...” I bent my head down to my knees, placing my hands on the back of my skull to try to get the spinning to stop as I let everything sink in. Finn remained quiet as he watched me.

Once the spinning subsided, I brought my head back up to continue our conversation. I wasn't finished with him yet. “I thought my magic was strong enough to help you lock him away. Then, because of that, I thought that maybe it was strong enough to bring you back to life. What if we had tried my plan while I thought I was stronger than I actually am?”

Finn sat silently, both of us knowing exactly what would have happened. The thought alone allowed the tears to finally escape my eyes. 

“Do you really think I would have been able to live with myself if I would have killed you and not been able to bring you back?”

“At least then you wouldn't have had to worry about Balor.” 

His whispered response drove me to act without thinking, and I suddenly felt the palm of my hand start to sting. In shock, I realized that I had smacked Finn directly across his cheek, leaving a bright red hand print where I had made contact.

I quickly pulled my hand against my chest, unable to believe what I had done. The first thought that came to my mind was to apologize, but my anger refused to let me do that. I loved Finn, but I hated being lied to, especially in a situation as dire as this one was.

Finn turned his head back in my direction, slowly raising his hand. I flinched back, for a split second thinking that Balor was going to attack, but Finn only pressed his palm against his cheek and quietly said, “I deserved that.”

I wiped the tears off of my own cheeks before once again making my way to my feet. I pulled my jacket off of the back of the couch and slid it over my arms before I headed for the front door.

“Aislin, love, where are you going?” Finn's voice almost sounded desperate as he stood up and followed me to the front door.

“I need some fresh air.” Without looking back at him, I walked out of the house and got into my car. 

I started it and pulled out onto the main road, trying to steady my breathing and stop the tears so that I could see what was in front of me. It was only six in the afternoon, but the sun was already starting to set over the horizon, the blinding light giving me a hard enough time of seeing the road. I had thought about only driving around to clear my head, but I realized that wasn't going to do any good. I needed to rant to someone, and I knew that my mom was busy explaining everything about magic to my dad. 

Without giving it a second thought, I turned the car onto the little side road that led to the hellhound's house. I pulled into the driveway and took a look at my face in the rear view mirror. My eyes were still a little puffy, the green color in them more evident than the blue thanks to the tears, but I decided that I looked acceptable enough to be seen.

I got out of the car and walked up the sidewalk, hearing a crow call from a nearby tree. I looked up to see if it was the same one that I had seen there the first time I had come to practice with Seth, but it was gone before I caught a glimpse of it.

Before I even had a chance to knock on the door, Dean was throwing it open, looking at me like he knew something was wrong.

“What happened?” he asked as he motioned for me to come inside.

Seth walked into the living room then, and I realized it looked like I had interrupted a training session between the two. Seth was wearing a pair of basketball shorts and an old t-shirt, his hair thrown up into a bun at the back of his neck, and Dean was dressed in jeans and a tank top. Both of them were covered in sweat, and I almost thought about turning around and leaving.

“Sit,” Seth pointed to the couch before walking into the kitchen. I listened to him and sat down on the end cushion, waiting for him to return. When he came back into the living room, he held out a can of Pepsi for me before sitting down on the other end of the couch, turning in my direction. “Now. What happened and why does it look like you've been crying?”

Dean stood in the middle of the room and started cracking his knuckles, turning his head from side to side to pop his neck as well. “Who's ass are we kicking?”

Their concern almost made me start crying again, but I tried to hide it with a giggle. It didn't quite sound right, though.

I started explaining what had happened to them, beginning from Mom's phone call and ending with me walking out the door, leaving out the part about me smacking Finn. As I told them everything, I started feeling regret in the pit of my stomach for walking away from Finn mad. After re-telling the story, I could understand Finn's perspective.

Dean was the first to speak after I was done recounting what had happened. “Ai, he was only trying to keep you safe by lying to you,” he said as he sat down on the edge of the chair across the room.

“I know, but it's just the whole fact of the matter. I've never lied to him,” I argued my case, feeling all of my anger slowly start to diminish.

Seth spoke up then, “We can understand why he did it.” 

“But we can see why you're so pissed off, too,” Dean added, his voice taking on a fake edge.

I had thought that they would have been angry about Finn not telling anyone the whole truth, but a thought occurred to me as I realized how calm they were acting about everything. “Did you guys know anything?”

“We didn't...” I looked over to Seth, who seemed to want to add more.

Dean finished his sentence for him. “At first.”

“What do you mean 'at first'?” I asked them, turning my gaze between the two.

“We found out about it recently,” Seth admitted before going on. “But I swear, we only found out last night that he had met Aleister.”

“Right after I saw him in the bar and called Finn, that's when we found out that he had already talked to him,” Dean quickly assured me as he put his hands up in front of him.

I stopped to think before getting mad at them, this time not letting my emotions over-ride my actions. “And neither of you think he's in the wrong?”

Seth looked thoughtful before answering my question. “He was doing the wrong thing with the right intentions.”

Dean stood up then, walking into the kitchen as he spoke. “Yeah, I told him last night that you were going to get pissed when you found out he'd been lying.”

I took a deep breath before turning my gaze to the floor, speaking quietly. “I better go back and apologize for smacking him...”

As soon as I spoke the words, Dean popped his head back into the living room from the kitchen. “You smacked him?” He laughed before stepping back into the kitchen. “I kind of wish I could have seen that.” I rolled my eyes and watched Dean come back into the living room with a glass of tea. “What? I told you ages ago that you could take him in a fight.” 

A real laugh managed to bubble up and escape my lips, Dean's attempt to lighten the mood obviously working.

Seth stood up and asked, “Want us to go back with you? Since Balor had come out?”

I stood and put my jacket back on before answering. “That might be a good idea.”

“We'll meet you there,” Dean said to me as I walked out the door and back to my car.

As I drove back to the house, I started feeling a nervous tension rising up within me. I just wanted to get this over with and work things out with Finn, then figure out where to go from there as far as Aleister was concerned.

I pulled into the driveway and walked to the front door, taking a deep breath before I opened it. As I stepped into the living room, Dean and Seth appeared behind me. They had both changed into black pants and the same black, tactical vests that I had seen them wearing while fighting with Wyatt, and my guards suddenly went up. I looked around, but saw no sign of Finn anywhere.

“Did he leave for fresh air, too?” Dean asked as he moved his gaze around the empty room.

“I don't hear him in the house,” Seth said as he crossed his arms against his chest.

Without speaking, I walked through the hallway, leaving the hellhounds in the living room. I opened the bedroom doors one by one until I came to our bedroom. When I opened that door, I realized that my closet door was left ajar. I quickly thought back, trying to remember if I had left it opened, but I always closed it to make sure the dagger stayed safe.

The dagger, I thought as I practically ran to the closet, slinging the door open all the way and reaching for the box on the top shelf. I grabbed it and immediately realized how light it was, but still threw the lid off to make sure. The dagger was gone, and so was Finn.

My pulse sped up as I thought that maybe he had just taken it and left me for good. If he had already found Aleister, then he didn't need me anymore. A growing urgency was spreading like wildfire as the need to find Finn grew. Quickly, I ran back into the living room.

“...not gone to meet him already, could he?” Seth was saying as I entered the room, holding the empty box up so that he and Dean could see it.

“The dagger was in here, and now it's gone,” I quickly explained as I showed them the empty box, not even thinking about what Seth had been saying.

Dean looked over to the box, then turned his attention back to Seth, who was holding a piece of paper.

“This was on the kitchen table,” Seth explained as he held the paper out to me. 

I sat the box down on the coffee table before taking the paper from Seth. I realized that it was a note from Finn.

“Aislin,  
I'm sorry for lying. I'm sorry for not telling you everything. I hope you know that I only did it because I want to keep you out of harm. Hopefully, after tonight, we won't have to worry about Balor anymore. But in case it doesn't work, just remember that I will always love you.  
Finn”

“What's going on? Are they trying to get rid of Balor tonight?” I asked as I held the note tighter in both of my hands and moved my gaze between Seth and Dean. Seth's words as I had walked into the room had finally processed in my mind.

Suddenly, Dean's eyes grew wide. Seth's reaction mimicked Dean's as they turned to look at each other, both of them looking as though they were going to go into shock.

“What's wrong?” I asked, looking between the two. Their eyes never left the other's as they ignored me completely.

“Brother...” Dean had started visibly shaking as he tried to form words. “Do you feel it?”

Seth stumbled over his reply. “It's... it... can't be...”

Dean's voice was quick after that. “We've got to go.”

“Oh no you don't,” I fussed as I reached out and grabbed Seth's arm just before they disappeared, taking me with them.


	61. Chapter 61

_**Finn** _

Finn watched as Aislin walked out the door, wanting nothing more than to go after her and beg her to understand his actions. He had no more time, though. After finding a piece of paper and leaving her a note, hoping that she would see it once she got back home, he went into their bedroom. He had found out where she was hiding the dagger soon after their visit with her parents on Thanksgiving, noticing how Aislin would always stop to stare at the box in the top of the closet while she was pulling clothes from the hangers.

He reached up and pulled the box down before removing the lid and staring at the sharp blade. The red hilt seemed brighter and the black orb on the end seemed darker as he reached down to remove it from the box, gently replacing the lid before sitting the empty box back where he found it.

_This won't work. Just forget it. You're going to die as well._

Finn ignored Balor's voice as he walked back into the living room to retrieve his leather jacket, but he could feel the pulling force of the demon inside of him. He knew Balor wasn't going to go down without a fight.

_Just go find the healer. She's going to feel bad when she realizes you died while she was mad at you._

That thought actually made Finn hesitate. He knew Balor was right, but he couldn't miss the opportunity to destroy him. If it all worked out, he wouldn't have to worry about Aislin feeling guilty over his death. It would be a joyous reunion—one without the Demon King.

He focused on the mist as he summoned it around him, then he was heading toward his home country of Ireland, dagger in hand.

The trip lasted longer than Finn would have liked, but it was still only about five minutes before he was materializing in front of the large lake. It was night time in Ireland, almost exactly midnight. The huge full moon seemed to take up most of the sky as it reflected from the still water, allowing Finn to see all the way to the Sanctuary of Saint Patrick on the small station island about half a mile out into the lake. The large white building with all its different sections stood tall, but looked more menacing than anything on the dark lake.

“She made it to the hellhounds' house.” Aleister's voice came from behind Finn as he stepped out of the thick forest and into the clear area around the lake, speaking calmly so as not to spook Finn. It was a stark contrast to the way Finn was feeling on the inside.

“I should have known.” Finn felt a small smile try to form on his lips, but it quickly vanished as another wave of anxiety took its place.

“Did you bring the dagger?” Aleister asked, taking a step toward Finn.

He held the blade in front of him, trying to hand it over to Aleister. “I did.”

Aleister held his hand up in front of him, motioning for Finn to stop. “You keep it. You're the one who's going to need it.”

Finn looked around them, but only saw himself and Aleister. “Where is our help?”

Aleister's face remained solemn, his pale green eyes remaining on Finn as he pulled something out of the pocket of his heavy black coat. “This is our help.”

Finn stared at the small, golden urn, confusion running deep as he watched Aleister sit down on the cold ground, legs crossed in front of him. Finn took a few steps closer to the magician so that he could see exactly what he was doing with the container, but Finn still had no idea how it would help them.

_There's still time to turn back..._

Finn felt his body tense as he watched Aleister open the lid, gently spreading what looked like dirt out on the ground in front of his crossed legs. Two stones fell out of the urn when Aleister tilted it all the way up. One, Finn recognized as the amethyst colored pendant from the necklace that Aleister had taken back from Aislin. The Verzamelen stone, as he had called it. The other one looked identical to the orb on the hilt of the dagger, the only difference in the two being the ruby red color of Aleister's.

“How is that going to help us?” Finn asked as he watched Aleister situate the stones on the ground, one on each end of the line of dirt.

“This is a Ziel stone.” Aleister pointed to the crimson orb on his left as he stared up into Finn's curious expression. “There aren't many left, and this one will be gone once I unleash the soul within.”

“There's a soul inside of it?” Finn asked as he crouched down in front of Aleister to get a better view of it, being careful not to touch.

“There is.” Aleister nodded as he looked back to the orb. “Ziel stones will capture a soul after it leaves a person's body.”

“So you're not going to capture Balor's soul in that?” Finn wondered, looking back up to Aleister.

“No. This one is in use. The one on the end of the dagger, however, is empty.” With Aleister's words, Finn looked back to the dagger in his hand. The black orb seemed to be pulsating at being so close to the other one, but Finn also thought it could have been his own pulse that he was feeling in his hand as he gripped the hilt tighter. All this time, he was unaware of what the purpose of the orb was on the end of the dagger, but he had a feeling now that Balor's soul would be held inside of that one.

Once Aleister was done adjusting the stones as he saw fit, turning them so that the tip on the crescent moon was facing the Ziel stone, he turned his attention back to Finn. “A Ziel stone will only hold one soul in its existence. I had this one with me while I was watching you fight Wyatt. I had planned on using it in case something happened to Aislin, but I realized what her friend was going to do.”

“Who's soul is inside of that, then?” Finn had an idea, especially after Aleister had said that he was in possession of the orb during the battle with Wyatt, but he wanted to make sure of his assumption.

“Stand back,” Aleister said before placing his hands palm down to hover over the dirt and jewels in front of him.

Finn followed his orders and stood up, taking a few long steps backwards as he watched Aleister's hands start glowing with a light blue hue. The color reflected off of Aleister's green eyes, and Finn realized just how much Aislin looked like this man, his irises gleaming the same color of hers in the glow of his magic.

As Finn watched, Aleister whispered one word. “Herleven.” His voice held the same intensity that it had while he was holding the dead bodies back from Finn and Dean while helping them with The Undertaker, his accent growing deeper with the strain. Finn's heart beat sped up as he recognized the Dutch word. Resurrect.

A blinding white light shone from the Ziel stone, almost mimicking the white light that surrounded the dead bodies when Finn sent them back to the earth. The intensity of the shining brilliance made Finn want to close his eyes, but he knew he needed to see what was happening.

He watched as a dark silhouette formed on the ground in front of Aleister. The Ziel stone was slowly losing its crimson color, fading into a dark grey to make it look like a normal rock on the ground. The body, though, was gaining features.

Finn noticed the Verzamelen stone start to glow with Aislin's magic after that. The bright purple magic flowed through the shadowed form, and Finn felt a mix of emotions stir within him as the man's face came into full view. His rust colored eyes flew open as he took a deep, gasping breath. His long black hair lay strewn around his head in a tangled mess, and the black vest that he was wearing was still stained with blood, just like the last time Finn had seen him.

When the blinding light faded, Aleister stood up, looking down to admire his work. “Welcome back, Roman.”

_Get him now, before he kills you!_

Finn had to fight off the demon in his mind, forcing all of his will into shoving Balor back into the tiny black box in the corner of his mind. He realized that both Aleister and Roman were watching him, surely seeing his eyes flash bright red. Roman quickly stood, ready for a fight with Balor, but Finn only closed his eyes and turned his back on the two of them.

“Give him a moment.” Aleister laid his hand on Roman's shoulder as they watched Finn deal with his internal struggle, but the tension in Roman's muscles didn't fade.

When he was sure that his body was still his own, Finn turned back around and opened his eyes once more, focusing his sight on the third hellhound, the one who had given his life so that Aislin could continue hers.

“How?” Finn didn't trust his voice to hide the growl, so he kept his question short.

“Black magic lets you do whatever you want,” Aleister explained, taking his hand from Roman's shoulder. “That's why most people frown upon it. Mortality only exists if you don't know how to fight it.”

Finn could only stare in amazement, looking Roman over. His tall form was the same, still towering a foot above Finn's. His tanned skin didn't appear ashen, like someone who had been dead for two months probably should have looked. The only thing that proved he had been dead was the blood that stained his vest.

“Is he injured?” Finn asked, wondering how an injured hellhound would do them any good. 

Roman looked down to his chest and a bewildered expression flashed across his features as he slowly placed his hand to the vest. The blood didn't smear, however, as it appeared to be dried up. It didn't seem as though the wound was still there.

“This is why I needed Aislin's magic to help me with this.” Aleister started explaining, his voice still calm. “I had his soul, and I had my magic, but he would have been brought back with the wound on him that would just kill him again. That's the thing about black magic. You have to know the consequences of each spell before you cast them.” He paused, looking between Roman and Finn before adding, “Aislin also had the last bit of Roman's energy. It wasn't much, but it was what I needed.”

“He's in fighting condition?” Finn asked, moving his gaze from Roman to Aleister.

“With as much magic as the Verzamelen stone collected, he's at one hundred percent. He may even be stronger now than he was before he died,” Aleister answered.

“I feel stronger.” Finally, Roman spoke. His deep voice sounded the same as it had the last time Finn had heard it, showing no signs of not being used in months. “And I know what's going on.”

Finn moved his gaze to Aleister, not even having to ask the question before Aleister was explaining. “I've put everything that has happened into his mind. Everything that I've seen, he knows about.”

Roman looked up to Finn then, his russet eyes studying the shorter man as he took a step forward, holding his hand out toward Finn. “Thank you for listening to Aislin and giving them a chance. I know they were a big help to you.”

Finn knew that Roman was talking about Seth and Dean, and he grabbed Roman's hand in his own. “Thank you for everything you said to them before. Telling them to get their freedom from The Undertaker instead of staying aligned with him to kill me.”

“That had nothing to do with you. I couldn't let them try to kill Aislin.” Roman released Finn's hand then as both men turned back to Aleister.

“We need to get started now,” Aleister announced as he stepped to the edge of the lake. “Finn, when she appears, you need to stab her with the dagger.” Aleister's voice had gone all business, giving orders as though he were the general in an army. “When you stab her, the Ziel stone on the dagger will absorb her blood. Once it has enough, I'll banish her again. After we have her back in the lake, I'll cast a spell on the Ziel stone. The purpose will be so that I can stab you with it, in your body, not Balor's transformation. The spell on her blood will allow it to absorb any demonic soul that the blade pierces, since she's the mother of all demons. It shouldn't absorb your soul. But we will need to heal you afterwards, so Roman will have to take you right to Aislin.”

Roman and Finn both nodded, but the nerves were rising again inside Finn. Aislin had just recently used all of her magic on her father, and all three men knew it. Finn wasn't sure that she would be able to heal him, even if Aleister's plan worked.

Aleister raised his hands above his head then, the sky blue color of his magic surrounding his whole body and moving toward the water in the lake. Once the surface of the water was covered with the light, Aleister started speaking in Dutch once again.

“Opstaan, Duivel Koningin. Maak je aanwezigheid bekend.”

Finn wasn't an expert on the Dutch language, but he was almost sure that he understood Aleister. The phrase he thought he heard was “Rise, Demon Queen. Make your presence known.”

The light on the surface of the water erupted into flames, burning into the night sky for a split second before going out completely, leaving the three men in the bright moonlight. Aleister stepped back, breathing heavily before he collapsed. Finn knelt beside him and helped him sit up, but he noticed that there was no sign of Caoránach anywhere.

“Where is she?” Roman asked as he knelt on the other side of Aleister, all three men keeping their eyes trained on the dark blue water.

“Is that Balor I sense? In a human body?” The hauntingly beautiful female voice came from deep in the lake, almost sounding like a lullaby being lifted into the night. 

_Run now while you still can. She's going to kill us all!_

The panic Finn felt in Balor's voice made his own pulse speed up, and he quickly stood. He called the fire to the ends of his hands, the flame covering the dagger he held in his right fist. A growl rose from his throat as he searched the lake, trying to find the demon.

Roman was a hellhound in the blink of an eye, standing beside Finn as his own growls ripped through his chest. Neither of the demons could see Caoránach anywhere, but they knew she was somewhere in the water.

With a start, Roman turned his back on the lake. Finn jerked his head in that direction, wondering if maybe the demon had appeared behind them, but what he saw made him even more nervous than he had been.

Standing there, looks of amazement on all of their faces, were Seth, Dean, and Aislin.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> All translations come from google, so I hope they're right. xD


	62. Chapter 62

_**Aislin** _

When I grabbed onto Seth, my head felt like it would explode. The sickness I usually got from traveling around America with their demon transportation seemed intensified, and I briefly wondered if we were going farther away this time. Finn had said that he thought Aleister would be in Ireland, and while I knew that was a lie after Balor told on him, I also thought that maybe it was only a half-truth.

The trip only lasted for a couple of seconds before I felt my feet on solid ground, but I couldn't keep myself up. I stumbled, almost falling to my knees on the grass in front of me before Seth caught me by the elbow, helping to steady me. A cold gust of wind whipped around me, and I found myself thankful for the fact that I hadn't taken my jacket off when I got home. My vision had gone fuzzy during the trip to wherever we were, but as I opened my eyes, it cleared up.

As I looked at the sight in front of us, I realized that Finn was in his fighting stance, flames surrounding his red and black skin as his gleaming red eyes focused on the vast lake in front of him. My eyes traveled over to see the man from the bar, who I knew then was Aleister, on the ground, kneeling as though he were trying to make it back to his feet after being knocked down. I realized that there was another form standing beside Aleister, and my heartbeat almost stopped as I gasped into my open palm.

My breath caught as the familiar black dog's pointed ears moved in my direction. He quickly turned to face us, the snarl immediately disappearing from his mouth as soon as his bright brown eyes found us standing behind him. Through his thick, sleek fur, I could tell that his muscles almost seemed to give out on him, but he kept his composer as he moved his gaze between each of us before it finally landed on me.

Tears formed in my eyes, but I tried to swipe them away with the back of my hand. It's probably one of the other hellhounds that Dean and Seth were looking for, I thought to myself. That was the only explanation I could come up with that made any sense. It couldn't be who I thought it was, and yet, it looked just like the canine form Roman had taken in the clearing against Finn and Shinsuke. 

I looked up to Seth and Dean to see if they recognized this hound, and I realized that they were both wearing the same amazed expression, their gazes fixed on the other hellhound. A small smile broke on Dean's face, and Seth looked like he was about to jump out of his skin, his hand trembling against my elbow that he was still holding on to as a single tear managed to escape his eye.

“Seth... Dean...” My quiet words didn't seem to get their attention, but I was sure they were hearing me. I turned my gaze from each of them back to the hellhound in front of us. “Who is that?” My voice cracked before I could stop it. 

Dean's soft voice was like a whisper in the cold wind that surrounded us. “Brother?”

I noticed that Finn had turned to face us then, his expression turning to regret at the sight of us there, but I couldn't keep my attention on him long when I realized that the hellhound was beginning to glow. As his form changed, I felt more tears start streaming down my cheeks. My knees went weak again as I realized it was Roman. Some how, some way, Roman was standing in front of us. He looked like he already had a wound, dried up blood sticking to the vest he was wearing, but I couldn't see any injury on him.

He swept his gaze over all three of us, but his expression was serious. “The explanations and celebration will have to wait. She's already here.”

I looked around, trying to find out who he was talking about, but I couldn't see anyone but the six of us at the edge of the lake. Apparently Dean and Seth knew exactly what Roman was talking about, though, because both of them transformed. I held myself up since the dizzy feeling had subsided, watching Dean run toward Roman in a beige colored blur. Seth was right behind him, looking more like Roman's hound in color, with a bit of lighter brown poking through in some places of his coat.

As the two approached Roman, he also transformed. Seeing the three of them standing there on all fours made my heart flutter. The last time I had seen them all together like that was in the clearing with Wyatt. This time, however, they were all our friends. The three hounds exchanged what appeared to be knowing glances as they turned toward Aleister.

“That's right, I'm here.” I heard a female's Irish accent swim through the air around me, her lilting tone sounding more like a song than a threat.

All of us turned toward the lake then, watching as it started shining with a blinding white light. I tried to look over the water, attempting to see where the voice came from, but all I could see was a large building on an island in the distance. As my gaze drifted across the lake, I finally noticed rippling in the water's surface.

The white light gathered around the small waves until they turned into what looked like a typhoon. The water spun around, rising out of the lake to take the form of a tornado. I suddenly heard a loud, sinister laugh that sounded like the same feminine voice from before. As the water died down, I realized there was a woman standing on the surface of the water. 

The woman stood at least nine feet tall, her long, fiery red hair whipping in the wind around the pale skin on her face. The midnight blue dress she wore clung to her body and billowed around her legs as she raised her arms, revealing dark green scales where her skin should have been. As her arms met the sky, a pair of leathery wings erupted from her back in an explosion of green light, the span of them looking to be over twice as tall as she was. She tilted her head toward the full moon in the sky, shutting her bright, jade green eyes as the scales on her neck gleamed in the light.

Without a word, she lowered her arms and directed her piercing stare toward Finn. A wicked smile shone on her face, her sharp teeth poking through her full lips, as she raised one hand in front of her. She flicked her finger in Finn's direction, and he was suddenly struck down by whatever invisible magic she had shot at him.

Chaos ensued after that. I took a step forward as I yelled Finn's name, watching as he jumped back to his feet, flames bursting from his skin. Aleister stood up and ran toward me, stooping low to the ground as he came in my direction to pick something up and shove it into the pocket of his coat. When he got to me, he placed both of his hands on my shoulders as he held me back from the starting battle. All three hellhounds leapt toward the woman then, Finn not far behind. She quickly swatted the hounds away with her dark wings, then formed a bright green ball of light in her hand, throwing it toward Finn.

He dodged it, coming back around for her with the dagger in his outstretched hand while she was focusing another blast in Seth's direction. 

Suddenly, everything stopped.

I looked from Finn to each hellhound, then to the woman once again. They all seemed like they were frozen—statues carved by the most skilled hand to depict an intense scene playing out for whoever was willing to watch. The blast of magic was hanging in the air, still on its path toward Seth. Finn was in mid-jump, the dagger outstretched toward the woman's chest. Dean was getting back to an upright position after being thrown away by the demon, and Roman was in position to attack, standing on the edge of the lake. I quickly tested my own body, trying to take another step toward the lake as I raised my arms in that direction.

Aleister's hands barely tightened against my shoulders then, once again stopping me from going toward the water. I realized that he and I were the only two people who could still move, and I ripped my gaze from the statuesque demons to look into his concentrated gaze.

“Who is that?” I asked, my voice frantic as I stared into Aleister's moss colored eyes.

“Step back. You can't get involved in this,” he said, his voice tense as he tried to easily push me away from the lake and into the trees that surrounded it.

“I'm not getting involved,” I insisted, trying to push his hands off me to hold my ground, “I just need to know who that is and why they're attacking her!” I slung my hand toward the scene in front of me.

Aleister's hands remained on my shoulders while I tried to look behind him to see the battle, but he moved his face in front of my view. “I'll explain everything to you if you back up some.”

I took one last glance at Finn before slowly taking one small, backward step away from the lake.

“More than that, Aislin.” Aleister's stern voice brought my attention to his face, his expression not seeming to show concern for what was going on at his back, instead only worrying about how close I was to the fight. 

He gently pushed on my shoulders again, and this time, I followed his directions and began taking backward steps, not stopping until my back hit the trunk of a tree. Mom's words echoed through my head, saying that I should trust Aleister if I ever met him—that she trusted him with her life and mine. Although, before I could trust him, I needed to know exactly what was going on.

Aleister sighed before taking a quick glance at the scene behind him, turning his resigned expression right back to my face.

“I'm sure you know who I am—what I am. All I'm trying to do now is get rid of Balor. It was my fault that the demon's soul was able to escape in the first place, and I need to fix my mistakes.” Aleister's admission left me baffled, but he didn't need me to ask him what he meant before he went on. 

“I was young when Balor was alive. At only three hundred years old, I was one of the youngest remaining black magicians in the world. I wanted to prove myself to the others, so I got close enough to Balor to sew his destructive eye shut.” I had heard from Finn that Aleister was the one who had done that, so his story didn't surprise me. Yet.

The surprising part came as he went on. “When that didn't impress the other magicians, I decided that bringing the Demon King back to life was the perfect way to do that after he had been killed.” He once again looked to the battle scene as he dropped his hands from my shoulders and moved to stand beside me instead of in front of me, letting his hands hang at his sides.

“So you're the one who started Balor's journey from human to human?” I asked, looking over to him as I pulled my jacket closed around me.

“I am. Not a day goes by that I don't regret it. It's why I've been keeping tabs on his whereabouts. It's also why I created the dagger to begin with. When I tried to bring him back, I lost control of his soul while pulling it into a Ziel stone.”

“What is that?” I asked him, not sure what kind of stone he was talking about.

“That's the orb on the end of the dagger,” he explained. “I wasn't able to put his soul into it, and I realized that it had escaped and started jumping through the other magicians, but none of them were strong enough physically to handle his transformation. He killed them all, but it was my fault.” Aleister's face still held concentration as he spoke, and there was a thin veil of sweat layering his skin.

“Who is that?” I pointed to the female demon who was still frozen in time, her sharp fangs jutting from her opened mouth.

“That is Caoránach. From her blood, every demon species was created.” Aleister's words sent a shock wave through my system.

“Every demon?” I asked, turning my wide eyes toward him.

“Just the firsts of each type. Each time she created a new demon, she would make multiples of them for the sole purpose of them procreating. Her goal was to rule the world with her demon army, but she was banished to this lake long ago. The only demon she created only one of was Balor. He's the one remaining demon who came directly from her blood instead of through the reproduction of other demons. It's why he's so strong.”

“How will fighting her help Finn, though?” I asked, my body starting to buzz with nervous energy. “And why is Roman here?”

“Roman's here because I knew Finn would need help. I had wanted to use him because you had already grieved his death. I thought that if he died tonight, you would never need to know, and it wouldn't hurt you. If I'd have asked the other two, and one of them died, it would have caused you even more sorrow.” His calm eyes met mine then, but an anger started rising within me.

“So you're saying Roman is disposable?” I asked, turning my whole body in his direction.

“Not at all.” He held out one hand, almost as if to hold me back. “If he survives tonight, you get your friend back. He's the same person as he was before—the same hellhound.”

A surge of hope rose up through me, but it quickly died down when I remembered exactly what they were fighting. The progenitor of all demons. I turned back to the still scene on the water then. “Why do they need to fight Caoránach?”

“I need her blood for the spell to kill Balor. They don't have to kill her. They just need to get her blood before I send her back to the lake.” Aleister's tone started getting more stressed then.

“Are you okay?” I asked him, turning back to him in time to see him hiding a grimace.

“I'm almost out of time for this spell. But before time starts again, I need you to have this.” He reached into his pocket and pulled out the necklace that Finn had given to me. “Take this. Keep it with you. Kathleen can explain what it does later, but just know that there is still some of your magic in it. Roman didn't need it all to heal his wound. Use it if you need to.”

Aleister's words struck me as I took the stone from his hand, the crescent moon seeming smaller without the silver chain attached. If healing Roman was why he and Finn had been stealing my magic, then I shouldn't have gotten angry about it. I would have gladly given all of my magic to them if I had known what they were doing with it. 

I tried focusing on the stone and realized that I did feel a sense of my own magic inside of it. I wasn't sure that I could pull it out of the pendant, but it made me feel better to have it near me.

Aleister released a sigh then, but I had one more question before the fight continued.

“Will Finn survive this?”

His gaze met mine again, this time holding a determination that looked familiar. “If he can survive Caoránach, then I will make sure he survives my spell to kill Balor.”

Aleister closed his eyes then before taking a deep breath. When he pushed the air from his lungs, I heard the sounds of battle once again roar to life.


	63. Chapter 63

I quickly moved my gaze back to the battle, watching as Seth just barely jumped out of the way of Caoránach's oncoming blast. The green ball of energy erupted beside Seth, plowing into the water and causing the harsh waves to crash onto the shore.

Seth landed back on the grass beside the lake as the water splashed up and hit him. He quickly shook it off, though, and once again joined the others in the fight.

Finn seemed to have the right idea as I found him in the chaos. He was trying to lure Caoránach closer to the land with each attack, making her jump for him just the slightest bit every time he dodge her advances. If he could get her on land then he and the hellhounds would be able to attack faster and without worrying about being thrown into the lake. 

Aleister was still standing beside me, silently watching the scene play out in front of us. I only turned my attention to him for a moment before looking back toward Caoránach, but he appeared more on edge than he had when he was talking to me. I guess since the battle is going again, I thought to myself, he's focused on it now.

When I looked back to Finn, I realized that they had gotten Caoránach to the edge of the lake where they could attack her easier. I cringed as Dean jumped for her throat only to be thrown to the side like a piece of trash by Caoránach's wing. As his body hit the ground, I started to run toward him, but Aleister held his arm out in front of me.

“You aren't supposed to be getting involved.” His quiet reminder was said in a calm voice, but his demeanor held more tension than he was letting on.

I didn't argue, remembering Finn's words from earlier. They didn't want me running into the middle of the fight. That was why I wasn't even supposed to know about it to begin with. I hated watching them all fight and get hurt without being able to help them, but that was what they had wanted. Squeezing the tiny moon tighter in my grasp, I planted my feet in the ground beside Aleister and continued watching the fight.

Roman was immediately by Dean's side then, his irises glowing and his haunches rising as he let out a growl toward Caoránach. Dean was back up in record time, though, jumping once again for the demon. Caoránach let out a wicked laugh, and I watched in horror as Dean suddenly stopped mid-jump, almost like he was stuck in the air. Caoránach held her hand out toward Dean, and he let out a yelp of pain. She had him trapped there, eight feet in the air, by some magical force that I couldn't see.

When Finn realized what had happened, he turned to look toward Seth. Seth, however, was one step ahead of him. He had already jumped for Caoránach's arm, his teeth barred as he clamped down on her scaly wrist. The attack caused Caoránach to lose her concentration on Dean, dropping him back to the earth.

I had a hard time following exactly what had happened after that. Everyone was attacking, trying their hardest to weaken Caoránach. Finn had tried to stab her every chance he got, and I found myself wondering if that dagger would kill her. I knew it was supposed to kill immortal demons, but I wasn't sure if the mother of all demons fell into that same category as any regular immortal.

After at least half an hour of fighting, I heard Caoránach yell, her voice carrying through the night. “Enough!”

As she spoke, she flapped her wings one hard time and knocked all three hounds and Finn away from her, all four of them sliding back on the grass, almost as far as Aleister and I were standing. Resisting the urge to run over to them, I stood still and watched as Caoránach regained her composure.

“I don't know why you have released me,” her Irish accent once again sounded like music playing through the air instead of the chilling yell she had just released. “But now that I'm free, I'm not going back.”

She opened her mouth and revealed her large fangs as her tongue slid past them. In a lightning fast motion, she jumped for the four men in front of her, her wings flapping as she landed in front of them. Finn made it to his feet first, stabbing the dagger toward Caoránach's chest. She turned her gleaming green eyes in his direction, and he froze, just like Dean had done in the air. 

“Balor.” She held out his name as the hounds kept their eyes on her, not moving to attack yet. “I created you. I can kill you. Even if you are just a soul floating aimlessly from mortal to mortal.”

Finn's red irises grew brighter then as fire once again exploded from his arms, burning his leather jacket more than it had already been. As he had Caoránach's attention, Roman jumped for her back, biting the back of her neck before she could respond.

Taking advantage of the opening, Seth jumped for her right arm while Dean jumped for the left. Once they all had their grip in her scales, a fire formed in a triangle around her, each point meeting one of the hounds. I felt the heat of the flames from all the way where I was standing with Aleister, the warmth feeling amazing on my cold skin.

I had never seen the hellhounds use fire before, but I shouldn't have been surprised. The flames grew higher around Caoránach's body, and she quickly started spinning, trying to shake the hounds off of her. Seth fell off first, landing in the lake, almost as far out as the small island. 

The fire went out as Seth lost his connection to her, the triangle broken. The thought crossed my mind that I had probably never seen them do that because it required all three hounds to do, and I had never seen all three of them fighting together before. I couldn't focus on that for long, though, because Dean released his grip after that, Caoránach's spinning causing him to land right at my feet. 

I quickly knelt down and ran my hand through the course fur on his head, checking for any signs of injury. As my hand stilled, however, Dean jumped back up to a standing position once again. He stared at me, his gaze relaying the message that he would be okay, before he ran toward the lake and jumped in, searching for Seth, who had yet to come up.

Before Roman could let go of Caoránach's neck, she used her wings to fly high into the night sky. I couldn't decide whether to keep my eyes on Finn, who was frozen in his spot; Dean, who was now pulling Seth back to the edge of the lake; or Roman, who was at least fifty feet in the air on Caoránach's back, still holding his grip at the base of her neck.

My gaze decided to stay on Roman as my stomach turned, watching them go farther and farther up. Seth and Dean were both also watching, probably feeling just as helpless as I was. None of us could fly, so there was nothing we could do until she came back down to the ground.

I almost closed my eyes completely as I realized Roman was coming back down to the ground without Caoránach. He had lost his grip on the back of her neck and was falling fast. I let out a scream of horror as I watched his canine body hit the ground, creating a deep crater around him.

I started toward Roman, but Aleister once again held his arm up before I could go check on him. “Not yet. He's stronger than you give him credit for. No life-threatening injuries.” 

I looked from Roman's still form on the ground to Aleister, who's gaze was also fixed on Roman. He had just fallen at least a hundred feet from the sky, so “no life-threatening injuries” didn't make any sense to me. Even if he was an immortal demon, that fall had to have affected him.

“He needs help!” I yelled as I tried to push past Aleister.

“And do you have the magic to help him? No.” His clipped tone reminded me of a parent scolding their child, trying to keep them away from something that would hurt them. However, it didn't stop me from checking on my magic.

As I felt for it, I realized that about half of my magic had come back already. I wasn't sure if it had something to do with the stone that Aleister had given me, but it seemed to be regenerating faster than it normally did. That also meant that I _did_ have some to help Roman with.

“I can help him.” I tried for a third time to get past Aleister, but he moved his whole body in front of me.

“You have to save that magic. Roman will live. Finn might not.”

As I shifted my gaze back to the crater Roman's body had created, I noticed him stirring. I breathed a sigh of relief as I watched him get back to his feet—or paws. Seth and Dean both met him in the wide crater, obviously checking to see that he was okay. Aleister moved from in front of me then so that I could get a better view. Roman was a little wobbly, but he was standing on his own.

There was no time to celebrate that short victory, though, because Caoránach was coming full speed toward them, not slowing down as she neared the ground.

She blasted into the lake, sending the water splashing all over the green grass around the edge. When she reemerged, she almost seemed bigger. Her slick wings appeared longer, holding black spikes on the points at the top. A tail had formed at her back, looking like that of a dragon. There were long black claws coming from her hands and bare feet, and the scales that had stopped at the top of her neck extended upward to cover her entire face. 

Her eyes almost seemed deranged as she looked from the hounds to Finn, who was still locked in her magic. She wasted no time in lunging straight for him, though, grabbing him around the throat with her reptilian hand.

Caoránach picked Finn up and tossed him toward the lake, his body landing in the water with a loud splashing noise. I gasped, but stopped myself from moving. I knew that Aleister would just stop me again if I tried to jump in after Finn, so the effort would be futile. However, I suddenly wondered if Finn could even swim in his current state, hoping that Caoránach's magic wouldn't cause him to drown. I wasn't even sure if an immortal body _could_ drown, though. I glanced toward Aleister, who didn't seem too worried about Finn, so that gave me a little hope for him.

Caoránach's glare moved to the hellhounds then. They stood together as she advanced on them, but as she attacked, the three of them split up in different directions. Caoránach started for Seth first, using her wing to send him flying through the air. At the same time, she succeeded in knocking Dean off of his feet by sliding her tail quickly in his direction. When Roman was the only one left standing, she turned to him, her eyes flaring brighter as she jumped for him. She formed another green ball of energy in her hand as she moved, blasting it toward Roman as she gained ground on him. He tried to move out of the way, but he was too slow because of the injuries from his fall. The blast clipped his hind leg, causing him to skid to a stop on the ground.

I watched as Seth made it to his feet, slowly making his way over to Roman. Before he got there, however, I heard a very familiar growl.

“This is my fight!” Balor's voice emanated from the lake, no sign of Finn's tone in the deep accent. 

I moved my eyes in the direction of the voice and watched as the water in the lake started boiling. My heart rate sped up as I wondered if Balor had gotten full control of Finn. I wasn't sure if that was part of Aleister's plan or not, but I knew it wouldn't bode well for Finn if he had lost his body for a third time to the Demon King.

As the water started steaming, I saw a form walk out of it and into the grass. Fire surrounded Finn's upper body, leaving his shirt and jacket in ashes on the ground. The black and red patterns decorated his torso, but it was still Finn's body. He had broken out of Caoránach's spell, and it seemed as though Balor was ready for a fight, even if he couldn't transform himself.

Finn jumped for Caoránach, the dagger still in his right hand. Instead of using it, though, he wrapped one arm around her neck while slinging himself around her, switching arms mid-way. Caoránach fell to the ground, but quickly got back to her feet afterwards.

A ball of fire formed in Finn's closed fist then, and he wasted no time in throwing it at Caoránach, the flames hitting her right in the chest. She breathed out a hiss as she came forward toward Finn, but he jumped out of the way.

“You've gotten rusty after sleeping for all those years.” Balor's gruff voice was taunting Caoránach right before he ran toward her, landing a drop kick to her stomach.

She growled as she stumbled backwards, the sound full of rage at the fact that Finn was getting the best of her. She didn't let that stop her, though. She ran for Finn, but he jumped up to try to dodge her. As he jumped, however, Caoránach caught his knee in her arm. His body landed over her shoulder as his upward momentum was quickly stopped. Caoránach put her free arm around his back, using her hold on him to lift up and throw him behind her.

I realized then that all three hellhounds had regrouped, staying back from the fight between Finn and Caoránach. I watched as they exchanged a glance before Roman barked at Finn, catching his attention. I noticed the fire in Finn's eyes dull the slightest bit as he looked over to the hounds, and I wondered if it were because Finn thought Balor was getting too much control, and he was trying to reign him in. Finn looked back at Caoránach, but this time, Seth's bark caused him to retreat back to the hounds.

As soon as Finn had made his way to the group, the three hellhounds jumped toward Caoránach again. This time, Dean grabbed one of her large wings in his teeth, holding it still while Seth took the other one in his jaws. Caoránach swung her arms in their direction, but they managed to dodge her as Roman went straight for her long tail, holding it down with everything he had as he growled in Finn's direction. Finn couldn't communicate the way they could while they were in their hound form, but he seemed to get the idea of what they wanted him to do. While they were holding her down, Finn jumped for her chest.

He dug the blade deep through her rib cage, causing a banshee-like shriek to erupt from her throat. I watched, my mouth gaping, as the black orb on the end of the dagger began glowing a deep shade of red. It wasn't bright like what fresh blood would normally be, instead looking like stale blood that had been sitting and allowed to dry.

“That's enough!” I heard Aleister's voice carry over the growling and shrieking of the demons, and they all jumped away from Caoránach at his words.

Aleister took a few forward steps, moving his arms up toward Caoránach. A light blue glow formed at his hands as he started speaking in a language I had never heard before.

“You can't get rid of me so easily!” Caoránach screamed as she made it to her wobbly feet and started stumbling toward Aleister; but before she could reach him, she froze.

To my surprise, I heard Balor's voice yelling afterwards. “This is my fight and I need to finish it!”

I turned my attention to Finn, who looked like he was having difficulty controlling Balor. His whole body was shaking with the effort he was putting forth, but Balor still seemed to be getting the better of him. He had started to jump for Caoránach, but all three hellhounds pounced for him, keeping him held down on the ground while Aleister chanted more spells.

I got a nervous feeling in my gut as I heard Caoránach's pain-filled screams fill my ears, and then she was gone. The lake had stopped boiling, the waves returning to still water. The only noise left in the night after Aleister was done with his spell was the feral growl coming from Finn's throat.

Aleister slowly walked up to Finn then, cautiously stepping right up to his hand that had a death grip on the dagger. “Finn, I need it now.”

If it weren't for Seth and Dean holding each of Finn's arms down, and Roman at his chest, I was sure that Finn would have attacked Aleister then. Aleister reached for the dagger, but Finn's eyes flared to life again, the flames from before spreading all over his body. The hellhounds didn't move because of the heat. They held their positions until they were thrown off of Finn.

When Finn stood back up, his appearance had changed again. His lower jaw had set itself in his chest. The bone crown was once more on his head, the long tendrils flowing from the top. His claws were sharper and his fangs were longer. He had grown in height, and his muscles were bulging against his skin. A pressure surrounded him that almost took my breath as I realized he was no longer the human Finn.

Balor had taken control again, and he apparently didn't like Aleister trying to kill him.

His long, red tongue slipped past his jaw as he set his sights on Aleister, the rumbling accent breaking the silence of the night. “Sorry to ruin this perfect plan, but I'm not giving up this body again.”


	64. Chapter 64

Balor's gleaming crimson gaze fixed itself on Aleister. The last time I had seen the Demon King's full transformation was when he was fighting The Undertaker. During that time, we were all rooting for him. This time, however, was different. Fear ate at my insides as Balor's gaze slid past Aleister and directly to me, causing a shiver to run down my spine as I gripped the small, moon shaped stone tighter in my fingers.

“I need the dagger.” Aleister's words drew Balor's attention back to himself, and his steady gaze was focused on the blade in Balor's clawed hand.

Balor gripped it tighter before looking around him to all three hellhounds. “Sorry, but you aren't getting it.”

With that, Balor lunged for Aleister, but Roman intercepted his attack, knocking Balor off track. Both demons fell to the ground, but Balor didn't let that stop him for long. He rolled on the ground, coming right back up to his feet. Fire surrounded his whole body as he lunged for Roman, who was having difficulties getting back to a standing position, but Balor didn't get far. Dean was on his heels, grabbing one of Balor's legs in his strong jaws.

I watched as Balor stopped his advance at Roman and turned toward Dean, his leg still trapped in the hound's mouth. He lifted his other leg and delivered a kick right to Dean's head, causing him to yelp out in pain as he flew backward, hitting the ground with a loud crash.

Seth and Roman, who had finally managed to stand, both jumped for Balor then, but they stopped short when they realized Balor seemed to be multiplying. In the blink of an eye, there were ten copies of Balor, all of them making a circle around Seth and Roman. The two hounds stood back to back, eyeing the illusions, trying to decide which one was the real Balor. Balor seemed confident with his trick, though, letting a deep, sinister chuckle escape his long mouth.

As I watched the hounds prepare to attack, I noticed Roman's weary gaze flash toward Seth briefly, and I wondered if they were speaking to each other. Seth had seen this little trick of Balor's before when Balor had used it against The Undertaker, so I was hoping that he had found some way to decide which Balor was the real one.

Suddenly, Dean was jumping into the circle, attacking the first version of Balor that he had come to. His fangs ripped right into the neck of one of the copies, but the body turned to smoke just as soon as Dean's teeth entered his flesh. Dean let out a growl as he headed for the next Balor closest to him, that one turning to smoke as Dean ripped through it as well.

Roman took note of what had happened, so he started attacking the Balor clones one by one. Each of the bodies turned to smoke as they disappeared, making it harder and harder for me to see what was happening. I could tell that there were only five versions of Balor left, but I realized that Seth still wasn't attacking them.

Before I could wonder why Seth was staying away from that fight, he had turned toward me and Aleister and started running in our direction. As he approached us, he let out a growled bark and jumped, leaping over my head to land behind me. I quickly turned my body to find out what he was doing.

Balor had slipped behind us. He had been trying to sneak up on Aleister with the dagger. Balor had done the same thing the first time I had seen him use that technique, sneaking up behind me while his copies took The Undertaker's blows.

As Seth tore into the real Balor, all of the remaining fakes exploded in a cloud of smoke, leaving Roman and Dean hidden in the thick fog. I watched as Seth dodged Balor's attacks with the dagger before he bit down on Balor's arm, using all of his strength to sling the demon back toward the other two hounds.

Once they were all back in the smoke covered battlefield, I couldn't make out exactly what was happening. I did, however, see when Dean was once again thrown to the side. Balor had caught him with another kick to the head, sending the hound sliding away from the thick smoke and toward the trees beside me. My stomach turned to knots as I realized how much blood was running from Dean's skull.

I quickly glanced back to the other two hounds and Balor, who were becoming more visible as the smoke lifted, but my attention didn't stay there for long. Aleister's commanding voice suddenly made everyone stop in their tracks.

“Stay back,” he said as he shed his heavy jacket, then removed his black t-shirt. He started walking toward Balor then.

Both Roman and Seth stumbled over to Dean after that, half dragging him back to where I stood by the tree line. As they approached me, Dean transformed back into his human form, lying on the ground at my feet with his eyes closed. I quickly placed the small moon that I had been holding into the pocket of my coat before kneeling down to check on Dean, planning on using my magic to fix any injuries he may have had, but he shook his bleeding head before I could touch him.

“Don't waste it. I'll be fine,” he mumbled as he wiped the blood from his closed eyes and opened them to look at me. His weak voice didn't sound fine to me.

“I can just use a little,” I told him as I put my palm against his shoulder. “Just enough to close the wound.”

Seth and Roman both transformed back into their human forms then, kneeling down on the ground with me beside Dean. They were all three bruised up, but they were alive.

“Aislin,” Seth started as he gently took my wrist in his hand, pulling my attention from Dean, “you really need to save it. Dean will be okay with time.”

I moved my gaze to Seth's face then, noticing his long, wavy hair stuck to his head in sweat despite the cold temperature and the short sleeves of his black shirt under the vest. The serious expression he was wearing made me slowly pull my hand from Dean with a defeated sigh. He would be okay with time, I thought to myself, echoing Seth's words in my mind as I looked back down to Dean's blood covered hair.

“He's tougher than you think.”

I looked over to Roman as he spoke, still in shock over the fact that he was actually there. He was watching me, his red-tinted brown eyes looking me over before a small smile broke on his face. I reached my hand over Dean's body to touch Roman's bloody upper arm, expecting to see that he was just an illusion. Watching him fight should have been proof enough of the fact that he was a tangible person, but I still needed the physical confirmation.

As my fingertips grazed his bicep, pushing a strand of long hair away from his skin, he looked down to them, the smile staying on his face. “I'm real, Ai.”

Hearing his quiet, calm voice made my heart squeeze, and I couldn't help it when I completely leaned over Dean to give Roman a hug, careful not to put any weight on Dean's chest. Roman grunted as he moved to wrap his warm arms around me, obviously in more pain than he was letting on. I absentmindedly expected a remark from Dean, but he surprised me by keeping quiet.

I leaned back then, not able to help the tears that were starting to flow again as a smile broke on my own face, but that one moment of happiness was short lived as my attention was brought back to Aleister and Balor.

Aleister had begun to glow, his whole body humming with the sky blue color of his magic. I couldn't pull my gaze from him as he reached his hand up over his shoulder, around to his back. I realized that he had put his hand directly between his shoulder blades, lying his palm flat against a tattoo of a huge, green skinned devil with brown horns coming from its head and a forked, purple tongue slipping out of its mouth past long, sharp fangs. There was a yellow crescent moon in the middle of the devil's forehead, matching the yellow color of its feline-like eyes.

Aleister almost seemed to reach into his skin then, pulling the ink right off of his back. As he flipped his hand forward, the devil came with it. In a flash of light, the devil was standing in front of Aleister, almost twice his size. It's green-tinted, lean body was bare, and it almost appeared to have green scales, much like Caoránach. It's long tail swished back and forth, reminding me of an agitated cat.

“That's Caoránach's first creation.” Roman's words surprised me, and I wondered where he had gotten that information. 

Apparently it surprised Seth, as well. “How do you know that?” he asked, ripping his gaze from the devil long enough to hear Roman's explanation.

Roman looked from the devil to Seth before quickly speaking. “Aleister wanted to save time by putting everything that I needed to know straight into my memory when he brought me back to life. I just know that's what that devil is. He was considered a failure and cast away, but Aleister found him and used a spell to make him his servant.”

After Roman was finished, the devil let out a loud, rumbling roar and bounded toward Balor, using its sharp claws to reach for the dagger still in Balor's grip.

Balor side-stepped the devil, calling fire to form around the dagger. He focused the flames around the blade of the dagger, making them grow longer than the physical blade. I realized he was making a sword with the fire, just like he had done against The Undertaker. This time, however, he was placing the fire around the dagger.

Balor turned around quickly and slashed his sword in the devil's direction. The flame clipped the devil's back, but it only seemed to make it mad instead of hurt it. It let out a guttural yell as it turned around to face Balor once again, swiping it's long claws toward Balor's face. It didn't move closer to Balor so that they could make contact, but I suddenly realized why it hadn't needed to move.

As it swiped its nails through the air, a red-orange stream of light came out of each one. The five lines traveled right to Balor's face, leaving gashes across his eyes and nose. Balor moved one of his hands up to wipe the blood from his eyes, but was on the move right after that.

Balor put both of his hands on his make-shift sword's hilt, pushing it right for the devil's chest. The devil couldn't get out of the way in time, and took most of the hit to its shoulder. While Balor was that close to it, he turned around and kicked the devil in the spine, sending it flying into a nearby tree. The tree trunk almost gave way, and it made me flinch back because of the close distance.

As my eyes moved to follow the devil, I noticed Aleister standing quietly, watching with a calm expression as his servant was about to be torn limb from limb. Balor followed the devil's path, grabbing one of its wrists in his free hand and throwing it to the ground. His bright red eyes flashed to me for a split second, causing a brief distraction.

“Now!” Aleister's yell filled the night.

The devil jumped back to its feet and lunged for Balor's back, pinning Balor's arms down to his side. Before Balor could even turn to try a counter-attack, the devil started glowing, a white light surrounding him and Balor. 

“Get away from it!” Aleister demanded, his focused gaze falling on me.

Before I could even make it to my feet, I felt Roman lifting me under my arms. He half-dragged, half-carried me away from the devil and Balor, his movements faster than my stomach liked. I looked ahead of us and realized that Seth had done almost the same thing with Dean, grabbing him by one arm and dragging him to a safer distance.

Within a second, a huge explosion sounded. Roman dropped me to the ground, putting his large body over mine as dirt and limbs fell around us. I realized that the devil had self-destructed against Balor's back, hoping to incapacitate Balor as it went. Smoke formed around us as the explosion flew into the sky. I couldn't stop the cough that escaped my mouth. 

After the explosion sounded and no more debris was falling, Roman rolled off of me and sat up, watching the smoke around where Balor and the devil had been. I sat up once I stopped coughing, but I couldn't tell what was left of the two fighters. What if the self-detonation had also killed Balor and Finn, I worried as I started to stand up.

Roman put his hand on my arm to keep me where I was, and I turned my frantic eyes in his direction. He was still facing the battlefield, though, intently watching as the smoke cleared. As I followed his gaze, I noticed the flames dancing in the clearing smoke. Balor was alive. He was still standing, but I could tell that it was taking effort on his part to stay upright. The flames had disbanded around the dagger, causing him to lose the fiery sword he had been using, but the fire still remained over his body. 

I released a sigh of relief, but I wasn't sure that it was warranted. Obviously Balor needed to be weakened so that Finn could regain control, but by the way he was stomping toward Aleister, I was guessing he wasn't weak enough.

Without warning, Balor jumped for Aleister. 

Aleister tried to reach for the tiger tattoo on his right hand, but his movement was too slow. Balor caught his left hand and slung him to the ground, just as he had done the devil that had once more taken up residence on Aleister's back. Once Aleister was down, Balor collected his fire in his fist, throwing it toward the ground at Aleister with such force that it made the whole earth shake. 

Aleister rolled out of the way before making it back to his feet, obviously deciding to fight Balor with his own strength. I watched as Aleister advanced on Balor, throwing lightning fast kicks against the demon's back, but I found myself wondering if the fire from Balor was affecting Aleister. I knew that the fire didn't bother any of the hellhounds, but Aleister didn't have a fur coat to protect his skin from the flames.

Balor jumped back each time Aleister kicked him, moving farther and farther away from us. On the next kick, however, Balor caught Aleister's leg and intensified the flames surrounding his arm, burning Aleister's blue jeans from that one leg.

I cringed as I heard Aleister cry out in pain, the sound answering my earlier question about the fire affecting him. The skin on Aleister's leg was already blistering and peeling away, leaving gaping wounds that revealed the muscles in his calf. Using what strength he could muster, Aleister jumped up in an attempt to use his other leg to kick Balor in the chest and push him away, but it didn't work.

Balor caught Aleister's other leg, causing his head to crash on the ground. Aleister raised his arms to the back of his head, moving one of them in front of his face again to reveal blood covering it. He cringed, but didn't seem to have time to focus on that because Balor was increasing the flames of his other arm, causing the flesh on Aleister's opposite leg to burn and blister as well.

Aleister let out another scream as he twisted his upper body, using the momentum to sling Balor to the side and free his legs from their fiery prison. He tried to stand up, but his legs gave out on him.

I quickly looked up to Roman, and I saw him look back to Seth and Dean, who were both sitting a few feet from us watching the fight the same way we were. Their gazes met Roman's, and Roman gave a small nod. With the motion, all three of them began to stand up. I wasn't sure how Dean even had the will to stand after seeing the blood running from his skull, but I knew he wouldn't back down from a fight. 

Before they could transform and join in the fight, however, Balor had crawled up to Aleister on the ground. I heard Balor's maniacal laugh, the noise causing me to jerk my head back in that direction. I watched with horror as Balor shoved the dagger deep into Aleister's rib cage.

Aleister's skin went pale as his wide, dulling green eyes turned down to the dagger sticking out of his chest. The orb on the end stayed the same rust colored red that it had turned into after Finn had stabbed Caoránach, but the blade was still doing its job. Aleister tried to reach his hand up to the red hilt of the dagger sticking out of his chest, but his arm fell back to his side on the ground before he could touch it.

I held back my scream as I watched Aleister's eyes drift back in his head, his eyelids slowly coming down as his body stilled. Without Aleister, Finn would never get his body back. Without him, Balor would remain alive, killing more and more people now that he had control of Finn's body. Aleister was the main piece to this puzzle, and with him dead, there was no point in holding back against Balor. Aleister's death meant that Finn had to die if we wanted to get rid of Balor.

Before I could move, Seth and Dean were jumping toward Balor in their hound forms. Roman looked down to me before he transformed, his steady gaze an attempt to keep me calm.

“He needs it. It's time you put your practice to the test.”

With that, Roman transformed in a bright white light and leapt into action with his brothers.


	65. Chapter 65

I couldn't even make it to my feet as I stumbled over to Aleister's still body. I looked at his pale face, the black outline of the tiny crescent moon under his left eye standing out against his stark white skin as the blood drained from the wound in his bare chest. Reluctantly, I turned my gaze down to the dagger sticking out of his rib cage.

The first thought that ran through my mind was to retrieve the dagger and let the hellhounds use it to kill Balor, then try to bring Finn back to life with my magic. The way Roman had said to put my practice to the test made my mind automatically jump to bringing Finn back to life. That was what I had been practicing for during the last week, so it made sense.

The problem with that idea, however, was that I wasn't sure that I _could_ bring Finn back to life. The fact that I had used all of my magic earlier in the day to help my dad hadn't escaped my memory, and the possibility of me being able to bring Finn back seemed small. If I let them kill Balor with the dagger, then Finn didn't have a great chance at survival, if he had any at all. That would also leave Aleister dead. With as much as he had helped us, there was no way I could leave him like that, and he had a greater chance at getting rid of Balor while keeping Finn alive than I did.

I felt for my magic, but realized that still only a little more than half had come back to me since using it all on my dad. If I could only bring one person back, then it needed to be Aleister. My sensible mind started taking over then as I tried to calm my breathing enough to think things through. 

Bringing Aleister back to life would allow him to finish his mission of killing Balor. He had told me that if Finn could survive Caoránach, then he would make sure Finn survived the spell that would destroy Balor for good. Bringing Aleister back would help both him and Finn. If I just tried to use my magic on Finn, Aleister would still be dead and Finn might not survive anyway.

If my magic isn't strong enough to bring Aleister back from the dead, I thought to myself as I closed my eyes and wrapped the fingers of both my hands around the dagger's hilt, then it isn't strong enough to bring Finn back, either. This was the right choice.

With a grunt, I pulled the dagger out of Aleister's chest, letting it drop to the ground beside me. I tried to ignore the sounds of fighting behind me as the hellhounds kept Balor away from me, instead focusing on building my magic against the invisible dam in my mind. As I pushed it against the barrier, I could feel a warmth coming from the pocket of my coat, almost as though something was reacting to my magic.

With a start, I remembered that I had put the crescent shaped stone in my pocket before I had tried to help Dean. I opened my eyes and quickly pulled the small moon out of my coat, trying not to lose my focus as I moved. I wasn't sure if I could use the magic that had been absorbed by the stone, but I knew that I needed to try. The fact that it was glowing, the color identical to the amethyst color of my magic, seemed like a good sign to me.

I placed the stone over Aleister's wound, not worrying about his blood covering it. Taking a deep breath, I laid one palm on the stone. I positioned my other hand on top of the first one, almost like I was doing chest compressions during CPR, before I released the magic.

The tingling sensation ran through my body, feeling like a jolt of electricity shocking every nerve ending on my skin. I could feel my magic converge at the stone before being blasted through Aleister's body, the light purple color surrounding him for an instant before fading away. As the shock traveled along my skin, I fought to stay upright and keep contact with Aleister, knowing that I only had one opportunity to make this work.

When I knew that I had emptied everything I had into the magician, my body gave out on me. I fell forward, landing on Aleister's blood covered chest. I tried to will myself to roll off of him, but I couldn't force the movement. My head felt like it was full of static, and the only thing I could hear was the rushing of my own blood through my veins, the pounding sound deafeningly loud in that moment. The only thing I could see was the hellhounds ganging up on Balor in a blur out of the corner of my eye, but I couldn't make out how much damage they had each taken. I wasn't even sure if I had succeeded in bringing Aleister back to life.

Suddenly, I felt movement from under me. A set of arms slowly came up around me, embracing me in a warm hug. I tried to peel my eyes away from my fuzzy view of the battle to see what was going on, but even that took great effort. 

Before I could move, I realized Aleister was sitting up, helping me up as he went.

“Thank you,” I heard him whisper before he picked me up and carried me over to a nearby tree. 

He sat me against the tree trunk, and I was suddenly reminded of the battle with Wyatt. After I had used all of my magic on Roman back then, I also had to be carried away. Not wanting to be on the sidelines for the rest of the night, I immediately started feeling for my magic again.

“Don't,” Aleister said calmly as he knelt in front of me and looked down to the amethyst colored stone in his hand.

I got a good look at him then. The stab wound on his chest was closed, but it wasn't completely gone. There was still blood smeared across his tattooed chest, but it wasn't freely flowing anymore. His ripped jeans didn't hide the scars on his legs from Balor's flames, but the skin that Balor had burned away had returned. I may not have had enough magic left to heal him to one hundred percent, but he was alive again and seemingly ready to destroy Balor.

He moved his forest green eyes to my face and saw me eyeing the blood covered stone in his hand. After taking a quick glance behind him to make sure that Balor was still being distracted, he looked back down to the stone and hovered his other hand over it, almost like a child would do if they had caught a firefly.

“I wasn't planning on trying this any time soon, but you need it now.” His words were quiet as he closed his eyes. 

He spoke a few words that I didn't understand, and then his palms started glowing. I was expecting the same sky blue color that I had seen come from him before, so when the pale red glow started shining through his cupped hands, surprise ran through me. I watched with curiosity as he said a few more words, and then his own light blue magic started mixing with the red. The colors swirled together between his palms before fusing with each other. I was shocked when I realized that the resulting magic looked just like my own.

Aleister opened his eyes and watched what happened next with me. He slowly raised his hand away from the stone. The small moon seemed to absorb the magic that had been swirling around it, along with Aleister's blood that had smeared on the surface from me placing it on his wound. A hint of a smile played at Aleister's lips as the glowing finally stopped. He looked up to me then and placed the stone in my hand once more.

“I've never been able to use your mother's magic to actually heal anyone because the magic knows who created it, I believe. It's like it has a mind of its own.” He saw my eyes go wide as I realized what he was saying, but he continued. “But I had been researching that spell in case I needed it tonight, though I wasn't sure if I could even pull it off.” He moved his gaze behind him again before quickly turning back to me, his words becoming more rushed. “Keep it with you. You felt how fast it helped you restore your magic last time. That's _your_ magic in there now. It will do the same thing this time, too.”

With that, Aleister stood up and walked over to pick the dagger up off the ground. As he walked away from me, I focused on the stone, realizing that the magic inside of it _did_ feel exactly like mine. I idly wondered how he created magic that mimicked mine just by using my mom's magic and his own, but I wrote it off as being the black magic that he used. That did explain why my mom couldn't heal my dad earlier in the day, however. Aleister had her magic. How he got my mom's magic was something that I needed an answer to after this was over. 

I felt myself start to regain some of my energy as I watched Aleister place his palm over the orb at the end of the dagger's hilt. He spoke quietly and his magic surrounded the orb for a split second before the glow dulled down, leaving the orb once again the color of dried blood. 

After he had cast the spell, Aleister's expression changed. He was walking toward Balor, dagger in hand, his face turning into that of someone out for revenge. A scowl set itself on his lips as he approached the battle.

Dean was barely standing in his hound body when Aleister joined them. Seth and Roman were in only a little better shape than that. As they noticed Aleister walk up, they all stopped. Aleister turned a piercing glare toward Balor, who was still covered in flames, but had quite a few cuts and gashes decorating his body as well. Even Balor had started swaying on his feet.

“It's my turn,” Aleister's quiet words were almost inaudible from where I was sitting, but they were loud enough for everyone who needed to hear them.

The hellhounds all moved away from Balor, retreating back to the tree I was leaned against. Roman and Seth stood on either side of Dean as they made their way to me, all of them leaning on each other. Dean flopped his canine body down on the grass beside me as soon as he made it over, leaning his spine against my leg. His breathing was hard and the blood on his head was still flowing from the earlier wound. I found myself worrying if Roman and Seth were wrong when they said he would be okay before.

Both Roman and Seth turned back into their human forms then, but Dean remained a hound, his thick fur keeping the side of my leg warm against the chill of the night. Without thinking about it, I reached my free hand over to Dean's side, running my palm slowly over his blood covered fur as I sent what little magic the stone had given back to me into him. His panting breaths evened out with that small amount, but he remained on the ground.

“You did it,” Seth said, a proud smile spreading on his face as he looked down to me from the other side of Dean.

“I told you she could.” Roman placed his open palm on my head as he looked from Seth to me, a triumphant smile on his face. “And now that Aleister has the dagger, Balor is going to meet his end.”

The smiles faded as we all looked back over to Aleister and Balor then. Roman knelt down beside me on the side opposite of Dean, but kept his eyes on the two fighters in front of us. Seth folded his arms across his chest as he focused on Aleister, waiting for the final showdown. 

They were circling each other, each of them sizing up the other before attacking again.

A mocking growl came from Balor. “You're here just to die again.”

The bellicose expression didn't leave Aleister's face. He didn't reply to the demon, instead jumping straight for him with such force that I wondered just how well my magic worked on him. I wasn't sure that he would be in any condition to fight with the scars remaining on his body, but apparently his muscles and strength were back up to par.

As he reached for Balor, I noticed the demon move slower than what he had been when he first gained control of Finn's body. The hellhounds had done more damage than what Balor was letting on, and I knew that was a good sign. Aleister didn't let up on his strikes toward Balor, either.

“Roman,” Seth's quiet voice almost sounded pained as he seemed like he had just remembered something. “Didn't you say Finn had to be in his own body for this to work?”

My heart rate sped up at Seth's words. I quickly turned my head to Roman, waiting on his answer.

Roman only looked up to Seth, his face silently telling Seth not to talk about it. I needed to know, however.

“Is that the truth?” I asked, moving my gaze back and forth between the two.

Finally, Roman answered my question after releasing a sigh. “That's what Aleister said when he was explaining what he would do to Finn.” Roman turned his attention back to the fight before going on. “He said Finn had to be in his own body for this to work.”

“But there's probably no way Finn is going to get his body back a third time unless Balor dies!” I felt myself getting worked up as my breathing quickened. If Finn couldn't get his control back, what would Aleister do? He had already put a spell on the dagger, and he was trying to stab Balor with it. If he succeeded, what would happen to Finn?

“I'm sure he has a plan, Ai,” Roman tried to reassure me as he put his arm around my shoulder.

Dean's head suddenly jerked up, pointing straight to Balor and Aleister. The rest of us followed his gaze just in time to see Aleister spin and land a kick with his heel directly across Balor's face. As Balor fell to the ground, Aleister was over top of him, quickly stabbing the dagger through Balor's heart with a loud grunt.

Balor let out a roar like I had never heard before, the sound almost mimicking that of a tornado, but even louder. His red eyes started glowing brighter and brighter until he was surrounded in a red light. Aleister jumped off of Balor's body just before it erupted into flames, taking the dagger from Balor's chest as he went. This time, the flames didn't work for Balor, though. They were eating up his skin as they grew taller and taller into the night sky. A gut wrenching scream came from Balor, his deep voice suddenly sounding higher in tone. It felt like my body had gone completely numb as I realized what I was hearing.

It was Finn's scream.

I jumped to my feet as I tightened my grasp around the stone Aleister had given me, ready to run to Finn and help him in any way that I could, but Roman was right behind me. He grabbed me around the waist just as I started running, causing me to jerk back and fall against his chest.

“Get off of me! That's Finn!” I screamed as I tried to fight him, using my elbows to knock Roman away from me. Even injured, his hold around my waist wouldn't budge.

I needed to put the fire out. Finn was still in there, and I needed to save him.

“I'm sure he has a plan,” Roman was quickly saying in my ear, trying to speak over the sound of screaming—both mine and Finn's—but I wasn't listening to him. The only thing I could hear was Finn's blood curdling screams echoing through the night.

I used my feet to try to kick out of Roman's grasp as I pushed myself forward against his arms, not caring at that moment that he was already injured and I was probably hurting him worse. Every time I landed a blow, he would only grunt and tighten his hold on me. Tears started streaming down my face as Finn's screaming died down. I could barely even form words as I fought as hard as I could against Roman.

“Roman, let me go!” I yelled one last time before the fire suddenly diminished into a small pile of embers on the ground. No body was left lying in that spot anymore.

The fight was suddenly drained from my body as I realized what I was seeing. A pile of ashes in the shape of a body lay where the embers were burning. Aleister was standing beside of them, the dagger still in his hand, covered in Balor's blood. I let myself slump down in defeat, allowing Roman to lower me to the ground.

I felt my knees hit the grass, but as soon as Roman's arms were removed from around me, I jumped up again, this time running right for Aleister.

“You were supposed to save him!” I screamed as I ran, having every intention of punching Aleister right in the mouth. I had used the last of my magic to bring him back so that he could help Finn—not so that he could kill him.

Before I made it to Aleister, though, Dean was in front of me in his human form. He put his arms out like a human shield for Aleister. “We can't let you attack him, Ai,” he said as he blocked my path. “If he didn't care enough to keep his word, then he won't care to turn on us, either.”

My blood began to boil as I looked over Dean's shoulder to see Aleister leaning down to the glowing embers. He placed the dagger's tip in the ground right in the middle of them, right where a heart would be in the body-shaped ashes. Dean looked over his shoulder to Aleister for a split second, and I used that distraction to duck under his arm.

“I saved you so that you could save him!” I yelled once I started back on my path to the black magician, wanting him to pay for killing Finn.

Seth lightly grabbed my upper arm then. “Let's go.”

I felt a wave of nausea wash over me, but before Seth could take us anywhere, Aleister was speaking.

I couldn't hear what he was saying, but it obviously caught all three of the hellhounds' attention. They were all three standing around me, watching Aleister as his magic surrounded the dagger once again. He finished speaking, and a bright red light exploded from the orb on the end of the dagger, breaking it into tiny shards.


	66. Chapter 66

As the orb exploded, Roman moved in front of me, turning his back to Aleister to keep the sharp shards from hitting my body. Seth still held onto my right arm as he slung his own arm over his face to keep it protected. Dean was on my left, watching the bright red light with wide eyes.

“We need to go now.” Roman's voice was almost frantic as he put his hands on my shoulders and looked down into my eyes, trying to will me to listen to him. “Balor's soul was supposed to be in that orb, and I don't know what Aleister has planned now.”

My heart felt like it hit my feet when I took a second to think about what he had said. If Balor's soul was in that orb, and it just exploded into tiny pieces, what did that mean? Was Balor free? Panic started making itself at home inside me as I thought about Balor taking control of my body—his plan if anything had ever happened to Finn's body being well-known for all of us.

“Let's go,” Dean said, his words short as he placed his hand on my other arm.

I waited for the dizziness, but before any of the hounds could try to transport us away, Aleister looked up and waved his hand toward our group. A concentrated gaze fixed itself on his face as his eyebrows pulled together.

Suddenly, we were all four frozen. I thought that maybe it was the same time-stopping spell that Aleister had used to keep the battle from moving on right after Seth, Dean, and I had arrived here, but it felt different. The wind was still blowing dark clouds across the sky, and a cold chill blew around my face, but my short hair didn't move with the brush of air. The moonlight was still reflecting in the barely moving water of the lake, growing dimmer as the clouds moved over. The only part of my body that I could move were my eyes. 

I looked up into Roman's face, his expression still fixed on me, frozen in a state of worry. His own eyes moved to Dean first, then Seth. I could just barely see them from my peripheral vision, but I could still feel their hands gripping my arms through my jacket. We were all apparently locked into place, unable to talk or communicate.

Looking past Roman's face, I noticed Aleister chanting again. I couldn't see exactly what he was doing, but a bright white light had formed around the dagger sticking out of the ground. Suddenly, he stood up and started slowly walking toward us, leaving the bright light around the dagger as he approached. His stoic gaze was fixed on my face, and once he got close enough, he reached between Dean and Roman's still forms to place his hand on my head. I inwardly cringed away from the contact, but I couldn't physically move away from his palm. I wasn't sure what to expect from him, but I didn't feel a sense of malice from his touch. It was the same gentle feeling as the hug he had given me when I brought him back to life.

I heard a chorus of feral growls coming from the three hellhounds as Aleister made contact with me, but none of them could do anything about it. I felt Roman's hands on my shoulders start to shake slightly, a small gleam of light forming in his chest signaling that he was trying to turn into his hound; but with a quick glance from Aleister, it disappeared, leaving Roman in his human form still, his hands unmoving afterwards. I could feel the tension in Seth's body through his hand on my arm, echoing the same feeling coming from Dean's grip.

Aleister looked between each hellhound, noticing that they were all three making contact with me, before returning his steady gaze to my face.

“I guess they'll get to see this, as well.” Aleister closed his eyes and took a deep breath before opening them again, revealing glowing sea foam green irises. 

I felt a pressure start to force itself into my head under Aleister's touch, and I immediately started fighting it, thinking it was Balor trying to enter my mind. My fight or flight instinct kicked in, and I tried as hard as I could to make my body move. I needed to get far away from this place. I wasn't sure if that would work to keep Balor away from me, but I knew that I needed to try something to keep him out of my head.

“Calm down. Don't fight it.” Aleister was staring straight into my eyes as he spoke, his voice quiet and calm. “Finn has a fighting chance. He just needs to be the one to reach the dagger first.”

Aleister's words made my heart start to race even faster, and it felt like it would beat out of my rib cage. My chest felt tight as I tried to listen to his advice and slow my breathing, but my nerves were too wound up. I once again felt the pressure, but didn't actively try to fight it off.

“This is what Finn's up against now...” Aleister's voice trailed off as a bright white light filled my vision. I tried to look around, but I couldn't see anything except white nothingness, not even finding my own body in the infinite blank. 

Suddenly, both Finn and Balor were in front of me, but neither of them seemed to notice that I was watching. The scene reminded me of the dream I had envisioned days ago, where Finn had appeared in the white space where the bar and hellhounds had been, but quickly turned into Balor. This time, however, they were both there—in two separate bodies—staring each other down.

“So it's a race.” Finn's voice was quiet and focused as he stared up into Balor's gleaming crimson eyes. His hands were balled up into fists at his sides against his dark jeans, the leather jacket he had started out in covering his arms once again.

The demon let a low growl escape his throat as he watched Finn. Seeing them both together made me realize just how much taller Balor's body was when he transformed, the black and red patterns spread out along the leathery skin on his broader chest and arms. The tendrils encompassed in the bone crown on his head seemed to be floating around his skull, almost like they had minds of their own.

Balor turned his gaze down to the space between him and Finn, and the dagger appeared there. The blade was pointing down, seemingly floating in mid-air, still covered in Balor's blood. The orb on the end was gone, but the whole thing was still completely surrounded by the white light that Aleister had placed around it before coming to my side. Without moving their bodies, both Finn and Balor appeared to move further from each other—and the dagger. It was evenly placed in the middle of the two, waiting for someone to reach for it first.

Without a word, Balor looked like he had tried to jump for the hilt of the dagger, but he hadn't actually moved forward. It reminded me of trying to run in dreams, where it felt like I was running forever but not getting any closer to the goal. It was exactly how I was feeling as I tried to move my own body, not being able to see anything but the dagger, the demon, and the man.

Balor let out a roar of frustration as he tried once again to pounce for the hilt and failed.

Finn remained calm, watching as Balor thrashed his body toward the dagger, not getting any closer to the blade. He closed his eyes and took one deep breath before taking a slow step toward the floating dagger. To my surprise, Finn actually moved.

“That's how it's going to work...” He mumbled the words as he opened his crystal clear eyes again to check that he had advanced forward.

“What are you doing?” Balor's rumbled words echoed throughout the empty space.

“My will is stronger than yours,” Finn said as he took another step closer to the dagger. “You only want power for the sake of being the strongest. That's why you want to live.”

“And you have a better reason?” Balor had stopped his movements as he watched Finn get closer to the dagger, his agitated expression growing more furious by the second. 

“I do. I have people to help, people to protect, and people who actually want me to win this war of wills against you.” Finn took another step, half way to the dagger already. “What do you have to go back for? No one wants you alive.”

“Stop!” Balor's deep scream filled my ears as flames rose up around him. His breathing got heavy as he tried moving again, his desperation becoming evident. My adrenaline started pumping faster when I watched Balor get the slightest bit closer to the finish line.

“I have to live for the hellhounds. They wouldn't be too happy if they went through this fight for me to fail now and you to be free again.” 

Finn got one step closer as his voice grew louder, more conviction forming behind it with every word as he fought to move. “I have to live for Aleister. He put his life on the line tonight, and lost it while trying to destroy you.” 

He took another step, his voice growing in volume still as he stared down the demon, a thin sheen of sweat forming on his forehead at the effort it was taking to get closer to the dagger. “And I have to live for Aislin. I can't introduce her to this world and then leave her in it without me. She is the reason I need you gone! I need to be the one to reach the dagger so that you can't hurt her anymore!”

With his last words, Finn knelt down and took the hilt of the dagger in his hand, the bright light surrounding it erupting around his body. I felt the joy of victory for a split second before a scream came from Finn's mouth as the light engulfed him, sounding more like pain than a victory to me.

The light faded and I was shocked to see demons surrounding Finn. There were at least a dozen of them standing in a circle around him, eyes glowing in various different colors as they all appeared ready to attack. I was shocked when I noticed that I recognized some of them. The two demons who had attacked me and Roman behind Raw were there, along with a few of the demons from the fight with Wyatt. There were others I didn't recognize, but my heart skipped a beat when my eyes landed on a more familiar face.

Cass was standing directly behind Finn, towering at least a foot over Finn's head. A wicked smile crept across his lips as I watched him raise his arms around Finn's head. I had seen this before, in a dream that I had the first night I had met Finn. I never thought I would be seeing it in real life, however.

Finn must have felt Cass behind him, because he immediately turned around and struck the dagger toward him. Cass dodged it, but just barely.

Balor started laughing then, the gravely sound pure evil. “Looks like all the demons you've killed while not under my control have come back to haunt you.”

Finn stood up and held the dagger out, ready to attack whoever wanted to advance first. “It's a good thing we didn't get your past demons then, Balor.”

The rest of the demons started jumping toward Finn, but he dodged the first wave and came back with the dagger towards the closest ones. As the blade ripped through the demons, they vanished into the air. I was starting to think that they were just illusions, but then the one who had grabbed me by the neck the night I had found out who Finn really was jumped on his back, the green eyes glowing brighter as he dug sharp claws into Finn's neck. Finn let out a loud roar before stabbing the dagger backwards, landing it right into the demon's skull. Instantly, it vanished, leaving Finn with a trail of blood running from his neck.

Cass was back on the attack then, charging right for Finn. He dodged Cass's attack and jumped up into the air, obviously finding it easier to move now that he had the dagger. Finn landed on Cass's back, swiftly slicing the dagger across his throat. No blood spilled from any of the demons before they vanished, leaving the white backdrop untainted.

After taking a few more attacks from the other demons, Finn finally had all of the enemies beaten. He was on his knees, holding the red hilt of the dagger in his hand still, panting as he caught his breath. I was beginning to wonder what else he would need to do in order to win this and come back to us, but his face suddenly lit up like he had figured it out.

“They're gone.” Balor's words were almost too quiet to hear. “But you remain here.”

“Not for much longer,” Finn said around his shallow breaths as he held the dagger up in front of his face.

“We may need to defeat mine, too,” Balor tried to convince Finn as he continued his attempts to move toward him, failing every time. “That might be the key to getting us out of here.”

“There is no 'we' anymore, Balor. No more 'us'.” Finn glared at the Demon King before tilting his head up and taking one deep breath, obviously not falling for Balor's tricks.

As he released the air, he plunged the dagger into his own chest. 

Instead of feeling a sense of urgency to get to Finn, or despair at the fact that he had just stabbed himself through the heart, I felt contentment. I felt like I could finally release a sigh of relief as the white light gradually surrounded Finn this time, taking it's time in consuming his body. I noticed a small smile light Finn's features as his arms finally dropped to his sides, his body falling forward in the blinding gleam.

Just then, I was seeing Aleister in front of me again. I realized that I was knelt down on the grass, all three hellhounds holding me up as Aleister finally removed his palm from my head. I felt snow landing on my face, and quickly turned to figure out where it was coming from. When I noticed I was back by the lake, I started darting my eyes around, looking for any sign of Finn. A bright light caught my attention from behind Aleister, glaring off the large snowflakes falling from the dark clouds. It was the same light that had been shining when Aleister had frozen all of us in our places.

“Did he do it?” Seth asked from beside me, proving that they had also seen Finn's personal battle, but I didn't have time to wait for an answer.

I stood up, leaving Roman, Seth, Dean, and Aleister on the ground as I quickly stumbled closer to the light. When I could finally see the ground where the dagger had been stabbed into the dirt before, I realized that the blade was gone. In its place was Finn in his own human body, leather jacket and all. He was lying on the ground on top of the ashes that had formed there after Balor's transformation had burned.

I hit my knees beside him and realized that I was still holding the tiny purple moon in my hand. I immediately laid it on Finn's chest and started calling for my magic, sending every bit of the small amount I had left into him, hoping that he didn't need too much to survive. I suddenly felt a hand land on my shoulder after I had finished.

“He's going to make it.” Aleister's calm voice held the hint of a smile, and I found myself looking up to find his face. Relief washed over me as I realized he hadn't turned on us after all. Roman was right—Aleister had a plan all along. “I told you that if he could survive Caoránach that I would make sure he survived this part. I wouldn't lie to you.”

Mom was right, I thought to myself as I studied Aleister's expression, noticing that he almost looked regretful. She trusted him with her life, and so could I.

I hadn't even realized that I'd started crying until I tried to speak. My throat felt like it was burning, and my hands were shaking. “Thank you,” I managed to say to him before I turned my gaze back to Finn. “Thank you all so much.”

“He's completely human now. Balor is gone.” Aleister said as he removed his hand from my shoulder and turned to face the hellhounds. 

“How?” I heard Roman ask from behind me as I inspected Finn's body for any signs of injury. I assumed there would be scars and blood because of the fighting he had just been through, but there wasn't so much as a scratch on him. I knew I hadn't had enough magic left to heal everything, so the lack of cuts and scrapes had to have been Aleister's doing.

Aleister crouched down with me then, also looking Finn over to make sure he was okay. “Balor's soul was in the Ziel stone, but because he was in control, it also took in Finn's soul. Because the stone is only supposed to hold one soul at a time, I had to break it. The magic holding the souls was still effecting them, holding them in a kind of purgatory.”

“That's what that white place was?” Dean asked from behind me, his voice a little stronger than it had been, to my relief.

Aleister nodded beside me. “It was. Balor is still there, trapped forever.”

I leaned my forehead against Finn's chest then, feeling the slow rise and fall of his breathing as I listened to his heartbeat. He was a human—a normal, mortal human with a strong heartbeat.

“Aislin,” Aleister caught my attention, causing me to raise my head from Finn's chest and look over to him. “He needs rest. The hellhounds can take you both home, but let him sleep.” Aleister stopped talking then, looking me straight in the eyes, smiling slightly before he continued. “This is goodbye for us now.”

I suddenly felt a deep sadness that I didn't expect as I watched him stand up once again. I took the moon from Finn's chest and placed it in my coat pocket as I made myself get to my feet with him, wrapping my arms around his neck before he could walk away.

“Thank you again,” I whispered to him, not trusting my voice to speak any louder. “You've done so much for us. Is there anything we can do in return?”

He wrapped his arms around my waist then, his hushed tone matching mine. “Just be happy.”

With his words, he pulled away from me, walking toward the trees that surrounded the lake.

“Ai,” Roman said as he placed his hand on my shoulder and smiled warmly at me. “Let's go home.”

I watched as Seth and Dean both knelt down beside Finn, laying their palms against his arms before nodding to Roman. I smiled at the three of them before closing my eyes against the motion-sickness.


	67. Epilogue

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here it is guys, the last chapter. I hope you all have enjoyed this story as much as I enjoyed writing it. I hope it meets your expectations plus some. I hope that I did all of the characters justice.  
> Thank you all for sticking with me through 67 chapters of what started as an idea I had while mowing my lawn. lol.  
> Without further ado, the epilogue...  
> 

I looked over to the little girl on the swing set, watching as she kicked her feet and cheered about going higher and higher. Her brilliant blue eyes shined in the bright sunlight as she laughed and gripped the chains of the swing tighter, her long, dark hair blowing back and forth as she moved. My heart swelled with happiness as I watched her father pushing her every time she came back toward him.

“Not too high, Finn!” I yelled as I carried the birthday cake to the picnic table at the park.

“Aww, Mommy,” the little girl called out.

“Yeah, aww, Mommy,” Finn imitated her as he slowed the swing down, allowing her to jump off and run toward me. “Aileen likes going high.” Finn laughed as he followed our daughter to the table. 

After defeating Balor seven years ago, the hellhounds had taken us home, staying for the first day to make sure everything would be okay. Finn had slept for three whole days, and by the third day, I had been beginning to wonder if he would ever wake up. When he finally did, the first thing he had done was proposed.

Finn and I had gotten married a year later. We had a small, outdoor ceremony, only inviting close friends and family. My parents, the hellhounds, and most of my co-workers at Raw had attended, causing an issue with Roman being there since Seth had told everyone at the bar that he had died. The only people who had known why there was a huge black dog at the alter behind me and Dean were my parents, but Roman had said that he hadn't wanted to miss the wedding. I didn't have any girl who I was really close to that I could ask to be my maid of honor at that time, so that privilege had gone to Dean, leaving Seth as Finn's best man.

My dad had walked me down the aisle, but I had noticed a large, black crow flying not too far from us as we went, following our pace down the walkway to the music. I had thought it was a bad omen at first, but then I remembered all the times I had heard crow calls before. In the clearing after the battle with Wyatt, the night I had thought something was going to pop up in my bedroom after Finn had fallen asleep, and almost every time I had gone to Roman's house. It was almost like the crow was a good sign that we would make it through any challenges we faced together, so I took it as a good thing that there was one there on our wedding day.

“Finally got the cake, I see?” Finn distracted me from my thoughts as he took the cake from my hands, gently sitting it down on the table.

“I wanna see! I wanna see!” Aileen chanted as she jumped up and down beside me, waiting for me to show her the birthday cake with her name on it.

“I do, but we have to wait until everyone gets here before we can eat it,” I warned her, trying not to smile at her begging face.

“Mommy, look who's here!” Aileen pointed to a silver Subaru Forester pulling into the park. 

I watched as Roman, Dean, and Seth all got out of the car, carrying at least six bags of presents for the birthday girl. A thin woman with short blonde who was holding four balloons climbed out last, her hazel eyes crinkling as she smiled at Aileen, who only gasped at the floating balloons.

“It's Roro and Sethie and Deano! And Naenae!” Aileen ran toward the hellhounds, jumping for Roman, who had set his gifts down first. As soon as she jumped, he caught her in the air and spun her around before tousling her hair, messing it up after I had spent an hour fixing it earlier.

The hellhounds had finally found another pack of hounds in Italy a few months after Balor was gone. The other pack only had five hounds, so they decided to join each other, growing their numbers little by little. Renee was one of the new hounds that they had found, and she and Dean had gotten married just a year ago. 

“Happy birthday, Ai!” Roman said to her as he sat her back down and retrieved the presents from the ground, walking up to the picnic table to set them down there.

“How old are you, kid?” Dean asked with a smile as he followed Roman to set his gifts down.

“That's not my name!” Aileen fussed, before adding, “And I'm five. You know this.” Her exasperated tone sounded more like she was turning fifteen instead of five.

Dean smacked his palm against his forehead. “Oh yeah,” he joked with her as he knelt down in front of her and held his arms out. “How could I forget you're five?”

“You always forget things, Uncle Deano,” she replied with a smile before jumping for a hug.

“I guess I'm not getting one of those?” Seth asked, crossing his arms against his chest and making his best hurt expression.

Aileen quickly backed away from Dean and ran toward Seth, tackling his leg in a bear hug before quickly moving onto Renee. Seth laughed as he realized he had been looked over in favor of balloons.

“I like those balloons,” Aileen said with amazement, looking up to count how many there were.

“Good, because they're for you,” Renee told her with a smile as she tied one of them around Aileen's little wrist.

“There's only four!” Aileen pointed out after counting them all.

Renee lowered her voice to a mock-whisper. “That's because Deano popped one of them on the way here.”

Aileen gasped and looked over to Dean, who was pretending like he hadn't heard anything. “Deano how could you!” she yelled as she ran toward Dean, trying her hardest to hit him with the balloon.

 

After the party was over and the guests were gone, Finn and I were cleaning the wrapping paper up from around the table. The summer sun was slowly starting to set in the sky, hiding the fact that it was already eight thirty at night.

“Mommy, Daddy,” Aileen said quietly as she walked up to us, the balloon still around her arm. I could tell she was sleepy by the way her voice sounded. “You guys didn't get me a present yet.”

Finn looked back to me, his face obviously asking if we should give her the present now. I nodded my head and grabbed my purse, taking a small box out of it to hand to her.

“What is it?” she asked as she sat down at the table with it, carefully pulling the wrapping paper off.

Finn giggled before he answered her. “Open it and see.”

She finally got the box opened to reveal a small, light purple stone in the shape of a crescent moon. The necklace hung from a thin silver chain, the amethyst color shining in the light of the setting sun. She held it up by the chain and looked at it with wide eyes.

“It's so pretty,” she said, her voice full of wonder.

“Now, you have to be careful with it,” I told her as I put it on her neck. “It's really special.”

I had taken the stone back home with me after Balor was gone. My mom knew a few things about it, and she had informed me that I could load my magic into it, almost like a reserve tank if I ever needed it. When we had found out that Finn and I were having a baby, my mom said that she had gotten a visitor. Aleister had apparently come back to her and told her a little more about the stone. I filled it with my magic, and by doing that, it would be able to help heal Aileen if she ever got hurt while wearing it. 

“I promise, I'll take real good care of it.” As she looked from me to Finn, I knew that she would do just that.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Be on the look out for my next story, World of Sacrifice.  
> It's going to be another one in this series, explaining the back story between Aleister and Kathleen.  
> It won't be near as long as this one, but I feel like they have a story to tell, and there are some things from this one that will be answered in the next one [like how Aleister got Kathleen's magic].  
> Thank you all so much for reading and for the nice comments! It's all of the positive feedback that has made me feel comfortable posting this for the world to see, and I appreciate every single one of you who have read this. <3

**Author's Note:**

> First and foremost, thank you for reading this!  
> It's been a long time since I've written anything, but I pull so much inspiration from Finn and his demon alter-ego that I couldn't resist putting my own spin on it.  
> Any comment/constructive criticism is greatly appreciated.  
> I hope you enjoy. =)


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